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By K.R. Nayar   It was a spectacular eliminator with Mumbai Indians marching into Qualifier 2 through a 20-run win over Gujarat Titans at Mullanpur’s Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium. Was it a match that Mumbai won, or was it a contest that saw Gujarat allowing themselves to be eliminated?   When two equally balanced teams battle for victory, one must ensure that the contest is made extremely tough for the opponent. Gujarat failed to do so by dropping Rohit Sharma twice. To let go off Sharma—known as the Hitman of Indian cricket—is akin to allowing themselves to be hit out of the tournament. Sharma capitalized on the chances, top-scoring with 81 runs in Mumbai’s total of 228 for 5.   As a result, Gujarat found themselves needing to chase a target at a required run rate of 11.40. They were well aware that doing so against an attack featuring pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult would be nearly impossible. Had Gujarat fielded better and bowled with more dis...

By K.R. Nayar Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) produced a show worthy enough to be the finalist of the Indian Premier League. The manner in which they booked their flight to Ahmedabad for the final—by securing an emphatic eight-wicket win with 60 balls to spare in the Qualifier 1 clash against Punjab Kings—was simply brilliant. It marked the biggest win (by number of balls remaining) in IPL playoff history.   Royal Challengers Bangalore breezes into the final.  Bangalore brilliance on the field was such that Punjab’s innings lasted only 14.1 overs and were bowled out for a paltry 101 runs. It was so shocking to see Punjab’s collapse on their home wicket. They batted as if they had no clue about this wicket and were strangers to this pitch. It was nothing but a clinical performance from Bangalore with Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood and Delhi’s 22-year-old leg break googly bowler Suyash Sharma taking three wickets each.   Royal Challengers Bangalore players who ...

By K.R. Nayar For Cricketlovers.com We’ve all heard about vacations, but not many know about crication. Vacation is defined as “a leave or absence from a regular job or school, or an instance of leisure travel away from home.” But what exactly is crication? The Crication team at the Lord's  The term crication was coined by a group of cricket enthusiasts who wanted to combine their love for the sport with travel during their vacation time. Gopal Jasapara, a cricketer-turned-coach and the brain behind crication, explains: “It’s all about playing cricket during your vacation with fellow lovers of the game.” The group is now preparing for their fourth tour—this time to England, starting June 14. The joy experienced during their previous tours has left every participant eagerly looking forward to the next one. Interestingly, they plan their tours to coincide with major international cricket events, allowing them to watch top-level matches in addition to playing their own. Their in...

By K.R. Nayar For Cricketlovers.com Both, the late Padmakar Shivalkar and former Indian Test star Praveen Amre, have coached Harmeet Singh who produced an allround show to gift USA an exciting nine run win over Oman in a high scoring ICC Men’s Cricket League 2 match at Lauderhill ground in Florida. The match produced a spectacular chase after USA posted 293 for 8 but Oman fell short being restricted to 284 for 9.   The Lauderhill ground in Florida, from where I had reported the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches in 2024, was the venue for this intense chase. Incidentally, the highest total posted in this ground was by USA on May 17, 2025 when the hosts posted 361 for 3 in 50 overs against Canada in the ICC Men’s Cricket League 2.   One of the huge impacts of ICC hosting the 2024 T20 World Cup in USA has been the rise of this team as a strong unit. In this match against Oman, USA posted 293 for 8 through wicketkeeper and opener Smith Patel scoring 41 runs. He had hit an ...

By K.R. Nayar (For Cricketlovers.com) The heroes of Punjab Kings’ seven wicket win over Mumbai India were Josh Inglis and Priyansh Arya. Inglish hit 73 while Arya scored 62 runs. Behind every player who shines, there's an interesting story—and these two are no exception. Inglis is an England-born Australian cricketer. He was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire and moved to Australia when he was only 14.   He even went on to captain Australia in place of Pat Cummins in an ODI match against Pakistan in November 2024. Incidentally, before him the only English born cricketer to have led Australia in an international match was Percy McDonnell in 1887. Josh Inglis  Inglis played only two Tests despite a century Thirty-year-old Inglis had played in two Tests and 30 ODIs and 29 T20 Internationals. He has hit centuries in all three formats. In fact, in his debut Test match, he hit 102 against Sri Lanka in 2025, and following a duck in the second Test never got picked for Test matches. His...

By K.R. Nayar For Cricketlovers.com Link to cricketlovers.com story:  https://cricketlovers.com/alishan-sharafu-uaes-young-batter-with-nerves-of-steel-and-remarkable-maturity/ Alishan Sharafu, the 22-year-old UAE batter, who played a valiant and crucial unbeaten knock of 68 to secure a seven-wicket win, and thus a 2-1 series victory over Bangladesh, carries with him a maturity far beyond his age. Unfazed by the daunting task of beating a Test-playing nation, he crafted his 47-ball innings with composure, laced with five boundaries and three sixes. Despite Bangladesh mounting pressure, Sharafu showed nerves of steel, striking the winning boundary off the first ball of the final over. With Alishan Sharafu after his match-winning knock against Bangladesh. Photo by Gopal Jasapara for Cricketlovers.com Having followed his journey from school cricket and reported on many of his early matches, it is now clear that Sharafu is on the path to a long and glorious career in UAE cricket. He...

By K.R. Nayar  Sai Sudharsan has bulldozed his way into India’s Test team through sterling performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL)—or would it be better to say that the IPL has gifted yet another gem to Team India?  Just 23 years old, but he possesses a repertoire of strokes that makes everyone watch him with admiration. The IPL provided a grand stage not just to showcase his batting skills, but also his mental toughness against some of the best bowlers in the world. Sai Sudharshan's timely shot. Photos BCCI/IPL   A closer look at his upbringing reveals that his success in the IPL, and now his call-up to the national Test squad, is no surprise. He hails from a sporting family—his father, Bharadwaj, represented India in athletics at the South Asian Games in Dhaka, while his mother was a state-level volleyball player. Sai has spoken about how their support helped him train with intensity and focus. His mother apparently used to show him videos of Virat Kohli’s rig...

By K.R. Nayar   For Cricketlovers.com   UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem is not just a hard-hitting opener but also an intelligent and inspiring leader. His role in scripting history for the UAE with a recent series win over Bangladesh has been phenomenal. While he earned the Player of the Series award for the team, he was the guiding star—instilling belief that a Test-playing nation like Bangladesh can be conquered.   Muhammad Waseem after scoring his half century in the first T20I match against Bangladesh   Waseem is the UAE’s 360-degree batter. Like South Africa’s AB de Villiers—nicknamed “Mr. 360”—Waseem too deserves an honourable sobriquet. The ease with which he strikes sixes and picks deliveries to dispatch to the boundary is a treat to watch. He possesses the flair of India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and the fearlessness of Virender Sehwag in executing mighty shots with precision. Some of his classy innings in the Abu Dhabi T10 and ILT20 tournaments...