Tag: cricket

A Different Stroke

On January 4, 2017

When people ask me, “So.. Where are you from ?”. On hearing Jamshedpur, in case they look perplexed I add on “Jharkhand” to answer. Each time, that confused look on their faces change to a slight elation, and they go like, “Oh.. Dhoni’s state”.

Thank you for Putting our state on the Map.

The news of MS stepping down isn’t shocking. It was expected. Captains in the Indian Cricket Team follow the same trajectory. Would have loved to watch him lead the team in the next world cup before stepping down, but well, not everything can be perfect as we wish it to be. Right?

I wrote this “Fan-letter” when he retired from Test Cricket and when I reread it, the emotions don’t seem to change a bit. Or to this post I wrote on his Birthday, which I rehash every year btw can tell you a lot.

MS made everyone proud. Sure, he has his share of haters as well, who might be elated at this news as well. Of course, To each his own.

Dhoni isn’t just about the Cricket he played. He’s every small-town boy’s (or girl) icon on dreaming of making something of themselves. When you watch the movie, MS Dhoni, which is, of course, dramatized to an extent, you’ll see the thought process of us, the small-towners. The makers never had to exaggerate that! Dhoni is just one famous example.

I’m sure we’ll get to see more of you as a batsman without the burden of captaincy. I don’t know if you’ll get back to your pre-captaincy swashbuckling self or maintain the captaincy cool. Or maybe a different stroke, altogether?

Here’s to a great 2017, MS!

Thank you Zaheer!

By farooq

On October 19, 2015

In Sports

India were being crushed by the Kiwis. Low scoring games in the fast and bouncy tracks of New Zealand and even though our bowlers were bowling well, our batsmen were not able to contribute much. The Test series was lost. The one-off t20 match, perhaps India’s first, was also lost even though Sachin scored a great knock and even won the MoM. We even lost the first two ODIs.

I remember the DD News anchor reading the headline, “Bharat ne jeet ka swaad chakha” (India finally tasted victory?). The person responsible for that ODI-win was the tailender, Zaheer Khan.

[Image courtesy: Sportskeeda.com]

It wasn’t the only time that he made it happen. The famous Natwest ODI chase, where Kaif and Yuvi got India home, and is more famously known for Dada’s antics in the Lord’s pavilion. The winning shot was also hit by Zaheer Khan.

Of course, he isn’t known for his batting, but these were some memories that are entrenched in many Cricket lovers’ mind.

It was around the same time when a new team India was formed. The Men in Blue team led by Saurav Ganguly came into being. The rise of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammed Kaif and Zaheer Khan had all happened at the same time. Indian Cricket which was in deep trouble post the Match fixing scandal, was finally being rebuilt. Zaheer Khan was one among the many heroes which made it possible.

As Dhoni rightly pointed out, Zaheer is the Sachin of Bowling. No other words are fit to describe his contribution and stature.

I still recall how while playing as kids, would try to copy his bowling style. In my head I was trying to take a run-up like him and leap right at the crease and bowl. Of course, I did looked funny and nothing like him and probably the time my bowl reached the wicket, Zak would have already bowled two deliveries. Not just me, many who have played around the time when Zaheer was at his peak, have tried to do the same.

[Image courtesy: Yahoo Images]

He had that effect on a lot of cricketers. He had a certain charm and style to his action and you ended up feeling that you ought to be like him. At least try to.

Years later, when he was out of the Indian team, he went back to basics. Got his fitness back, played in the English county and finally got back to the team.

In his retirement note, clearly mentioning that winning the World Cup was the most cherished moment of his cricketing career.

[Image courtesy: Daily Mail]

He was a hero of Indian bowling, a mentor for many fast bowlers and I do wish that sooner than later, he gets associated with the Indian team in mentoring our fast bowlers.

Thank you Zaheer khan, for being an inspiration for many. No matter how much I write, it won’t be enough to thank you.

Have a great life ahead.

Happy b’day MS!!

By farooq

On July 7, 2013

In Sports

A young boy from a city in Jharkhand, a newly formed state struggling to keep up after its divorce from Bihar, was making some waves in the domestic circuit. A (thumbnail) picture. with a lanky sunscreen laden face, adorned one small section of the sports column in the morning newspapers’ local edition.

After century knocks against Zimbabwe, Kenya and Pakistan- A teams, this India-A player was slowly getting his due attention. Although the Indian Team selectors picked Dinesh Kartick as the wicket keeper, the one year started off with a series of great performances by this Jharkhand lad in the domestic circuit.

And after a year, he was finally chosen to be in the ODI team travelling for Banagladesh.

A Dream come true.

Not just for him, but for a state trying to make its presence felt. We all felt like our dream was getting realised.

But it didn’t came without disappointments. He got out to a duck.

In the second match he played, of the two balls that he faced, one went for a Six. This six against the Bangladesh attack was the signal of what was to come later.

Next series, it was Pakistan

148* laced with 4 mighty sixes and 15 powerful 4s in just 123 balls, was when the world came to know of Mahendra Singh Dhoni!!!

This was not the end; this was a start to the storm that had made its way into the Indian Cricket team.

Innings of 182 against Pakistan by MS Dhoni at Vizag

The Pakistan series got him, his first Man-of-the-Series award and was followed up by the Sri Lankan series. Promoted up the order, chasing 299 against Sri Lanka, with 10 sixes and 15 fours, he stood up high in the record books as the highest score by a wicket-keeper batsman as well as by an Indian. 183*.

Rest, as they say is History. History which is glorious and promises to add more laurels in the coming years.

T20 world cup, ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, IPL championship, Champions League are just a few of the trophies that the Indian Cricket Team or the Chennai Super Kings have won. This has been possible because of just one man. The captain marvel or the Captain Cool, as many call him. Giving coolness a whole different meaning.

Taking decisions with the cool as a cucumber mind. Imagine giving the final over to a nobody like Joginder Sharma the final over in the 2007 WC or even persisting with Ishant Sharma, who was way too expensive the crucial death overs, and not to mention how well they worked!!

His having faith in the players even in times of terrible form isn’t limited to match-time situations. He is known to back Ravindra Jadeja and even Rohit Sharma. Notwithstanding the jokes, criticism and their visible bad form, he backed them all and we all can see the effects.

Ravindra Jadeja is the best example of how criticism can give rise to a hero. Imagine the “Sir” tag attached to his name just for ridiculing him is slowly turning out to be an honorary title. Who knows, the Queen might just make this come true!!

Of course, when you are doing well, in Dhoni’s case “Exceptionally well” where he is known to have a Midas touch, there will be haters. And yes, there are.

But deep down, even they agree on what this One man has achieved and is capable of achieving (Although there’s hardly anything left).

Proud to belong to the state from where you come. Blessed to have watched you play. Honored to have you as our Captain and Pleasure to be a Dhoniette.

Happy b’day Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the coolest captain to have ever lead an Indian Cricket team.

To the CSK haters!!

By farooq

On May 25, 2013

In Sports

The final match is just hours away. Final of the Indian Premier League 6.

Two teams, Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians have made it to the finals.

On one side, it’s the “yet-to-be-a-winner” Mumbai Indians and on the other is Chennai Super Kings, the two-time winner, and the ONLY team to have reached the semifinals or playoffs EVERY IPL season. And for a while, we may just leave Champions league out of this picture, where also this team has shown consistency.

Now, going into this final, there has been a lot of talks. Or to be a little more clear, a lot of BULLSHIT thrown around.

There has been of course big revelations on the betting scandal, where 3 Players from Rajasthan Royals have been arrested, and the captain, team owners, officials questioned too. There has also been involvement of a “Bollywood connection” in the form of Vindoo Dara Singh, which has further opened many new “connections” of this scandal, including BCCI President N. Srinivasan’s son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan. This is how the stakes are stacked as of now. Just a day before the final of IPL6 scheduled to be held in Kolkata.

There is a significant question that I want to ask. Will you say this IPL was fixed if CSK wins it??

And is your answer influenced by recent happenings around cricket, where individual players have put this gentleman’s game to shame??

Well before you answer, let me just go back a year.

Same time, it was the final between CSK and Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR)!!

Instead of MI (this year), there was KKR. But this talk of it being fixed and CSK will end up winning, or “I’ll stop watching IPL if CSK wins” talk was still doing the rounds.

Was there a betting scandal unearthed that time as well?? Or were some players arrested??

So, why was there so much talk every time this Team called Chennai Super Kings does well??

The only logical answer that can come to my mind is, when you are at the top, there will be a lot of Dogs barking down there, to pull you down and that’s what is happening!!

I don’t have to say who the dogs are. Do I??

Isn’t it baffling that a team whose 3 players( Sreesanth, Chandela, and Chavan) were arrested, was hailed as the team of fair play and their captain holds the ultimate image of honesty continues to do so. And a team, whose owner’s son-in-law has been arrested, ends up becoming the team which fixes matches??

I agree that Dravid’s image makes it so and it very correctly shows a case of some rotten eggs.

But, when it comes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all of this just doesn’t have any significance. Hypocrisy at its very best!!

You point fingers at MS, just because of an alleged bookie sitting beside his wife during matches in the stadium?? Well, that same “Bollywood connection” has clicked lots of pictures with SRK, Preity, etc. Are they involved too??

Why just IPL matches, maybe, this guy fixed the World cup matches to bring in two effin trophies back home also??

You know what, haters will always remain haters, and I don’t give a rat’s ass, as to whether you guys stop watching IPL if we win this thing again,( as you have been claiming from many seasons) or NOT!!

We win the title again or not, depend on how we play out there at the Edens, and even if we don’t win this, we, the CSK fans will still always stand by it through its thick and thin.

I do believe that we will win this again, for the third time!!

And yes, I don’t mean to be rude, but

#$%& YOU CSK-Haters!!!!! (Yea, I know you get that)!!