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By K.R. Nayar From Rajkot  It was truly a great feeling to finally meet someone you have long wished to interact with, yet never found the opportunity to do so. From the time Cheteshwar Pujara began piling up runs for India, drawing admiration for his discipline and technical excellence, I had been intrigued by the man behind the making and architect of a Test giant.  When I learned that it was his father Arvind—a coach, a former cricketer, and a tireless mentor—who had shaped that solid foundation, a desire grew within me to meet him. Arvind Pujara ... a tireless mentor  Though I have reported many of Pujara’s defining innings across venues and continents, Arvind Pujara, who resides in Rajkot, remained elusive. Fate, however, had its own timing. Last week, at Rajkot, I finally met him during the ongoing G Force Cricket Academy coaching camp at their newly developed ground at the Rajkot Gymkhana Club premises. We have heard numerous stories of fathers introducing th...

By K.R. Nayar From Rajkot   G Force, the Dubai-based cricket academy renowned for its innovative initiatives to groom young cricketers and create facilities that fuel the passion for the game, is spreading its wings. Marking a significant milestone in its remarkable journey, the academy has launched its operations in India on its own ground in Rajkot, in collaboration with the prestigious Rajkot Gymkhana Club, one of the country’s oldest cricket institutions, established in 1894.   The launch of G Force Cricket Academy in Rajkot  The inauguration of the ground and training facilities took place on December 20, 2025, during the ongoing 53rd cricket tour of the G Force Cricket Academy. The occasion was graced by Rajkot Gymkhana Club members Harishchandrasinhji Jadeja, Vipulbhai Kamdar, KS Arjunsinh Jadeja, Harishbhai Hinduja, Jaydeep Vora, and former Saurashtra and India-Under-19 player Sudhir Tanna, lending the event both tradition and stature. A new landmark being i...

By K.R. Nayar When players select themselves, the selectors’ job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup? Choosing a winning combination — that too for a World Cup — from an ocean of talent is never an easy exercise. The Indian cricket landscape today is crowded with aspirants knocking loudly on the doors of the national team, each one staking a claim and demanding attention. And when the team in question is a World Cup-winning outfit like India, the task becomes even more demanding. The reason is obvious: a few wrong calls can send the hopes of millions of Indian cricket fans crashing down.   The loudest and most debated headline of them all has been Shubman Gill’s omission. Dropping a player of his calibre sounds harsh, almost unthinkable, but the selectors were handed a solid reason to make that tough call. In his last 15 innings, Gill managed only 291 runs. An ave...

By K.R. Nayar   It was an evening when passion for cricket soared to extraordinary heights, sweeping a packed gathering into its spell. Rarely does the UAE witness eight celebrated international cricketers — men who have etched their names into the history of the game — sharing the same stage outside the context of a tournament announcement. That rarity made the moment special, and the occasion truly unique. This was not just a launch; it was the birth of a dream nurtured by a cricket enthusiast.   Anis Sajan with the legendary cricketers  On Wednesday evening, amid the elegance of the Taj Exotica in Dubai, the cricketing fraternity and media assembled to unveil the UAE’s cricket-driven digital media platform, a visionary initiative conceived by Vice Chairman of the Danube Group, Anis Sajan, known as Mr Cricket UAE. The platform, aptly titled  Mr Cricket UAE , promises to deliver world-class cricket content and compelling storytelling to fans across the globe. ...

By K.R. Nayar From Abu Dhabi Etihad Arena The IPL Auction 2026 turned out to be nothing short of a blockbuster, dazzling fans and stakeholders alike with its scale, drama, and free-flowing money. Franchise owners opened their purses wide to assemble dream squads. As the bidding wars escalated, it  added layers of glamour and reinforced the IPL’s stature once again as the richest league in world cricket. Though officially labelled a “mini auction,” it should be termed as one of the major auctions in the world due to many reasons. It literally turned Abu Dhabi into cricket’s financial capital! Etihad Arena dressed in IPL colours. Photo by K.R. Nayar Set against the stunning backdrop of the Etihad Arena, decked in vibrant IPL colours, the venue witnessed history being rewritten. The moment arrived when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stunned the cricketing world by snapping up Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a staggering Rs 25.20 crores, after he had entered the auction with ...