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On the tour of England where the limited-over internationals were played before the five-match Test series, the Indians thought they would be ready for it. They didn’t reckon that the red ball moves a lot more and for far longer than the white ball does and playing on the rise and through the line, like in limited-overs, is extremely risky. Make no mistake, the captain is an exceptional talent and like he showed in the series he didn’t need any practice to score heaps of runs. But what about the others?
The ambiguity surrounding organised cricket in Uttarakhand signifies its status as one of the country’s cricketing backwaters. But what could be the catalyst for rapid and permanent changes is success in the Ranji Trophy.
The abundance of league and junior cricket in Puducherry has gone a long way in ensuring that the Union Territory is one of the strongest new teams.
Sundry issues — conflict of interest, domicile, disciplinary actions and the lack of a proper office for the association — exist, but for the time being every stakeholder in Bihar cricket is not too concerned about the present hitches or the bitter past.
For a state where tourism is the major industry, entering the cricketing arena hasn’t been easy. But it has dared to dream.
When the state was gearing up for its BCCI induction, we visited their territory for an introduction.
No association office, no money. But an idea paved the way for the Cricket Association of Mizoram as it readies for its first season of domestic cricket.
Meghalaya is far better prepared for the coming domestic cricket season than its neighbours, but it is the emotion of finally representing their state that is driving the team.
Among the teams that have played all four ISL seasons, NorthEast United is the only club to have never reached the semifinals, despite coming close on two occasions. Stability has eluded the club which has seen almost completely different teams each year.
Taking lessons from last year’s disastrous show — where it finished seventh — the team has made it a point to strive for balance in every department.
A return to roots, multi-sports acumen and a star coach — Manipur’s cricket team is filled with heartfelt stories.
A good show by the Kochi-based Kerala Blasters in the coming ISL can bring some solace to a football-loving Kerala which is struggling to rebuild lives after recent floods.
With no grounds available, Arunachal Pradesh’s young cricketers have been training on a small patch of marshy land, far away from the state’s urban centres. But the state association is ambitious, and the cricketers themselves are looking forward to the new experience.
The need is to strengthen the midfield and attack, but this hasn’t stopped the club from reinforcing its defence and building on last season’s solid defensive record.
The tale of FC Goa is a fascinating one. In four editions of the Indian Super League, The Gaurs haven’t been able to win the trophy, reaching the semifinals twice, the final once and even managing to finish at the bottom of the table!
Nine teams join the domestic circuit this season. Bihar, Puducherry and Uttarakhand might be able to put up a challenge, but the six sides from the north-east will need more time and infrastructure to come to terms with the quality of the opposition.
Having parted ways with Spanish midfielder Marcos Tebar, the club has announced contract extensions for Emiliano Alfaro — the club’s top scorer last season with nine goals — and Marcelinho, who scored eight.
Last season, Delhi Dynamos conjured 8,703 passes in 18 matches, 10,900 touches and 295 crosses.
Referees are expected to be robots, unfeeling, unemotional and inhumane. But sport is about passion, emotion and humanity. Hence the tension.
Sports broadcaster Gaurav Kapur recalls the first meeting with 1983 World Cup winner Syed Kirmani and how he missed out on a cricket career because of Mike Gatting!
ATK has acted out of pragmatism in the new season (2018-2019) without the flamboyance it had sought to display previously.
15The number of times a batsman has managed to cross the 18,000-run mark in international cricket. Virat Kohli, in the Oval Test, became the latest ...