From the diary of a cricketer

Some names just have star quality. You hear them and it’s like there’s an aura around the person even before you’ve seen them. Their name sounds ‘big’, royal, even. Gouher Sultana is one such name. “Gouher” means diamond or precious stone. Gouher Sultana? The Queen of Diamonds, Diamond Queen… Take your pick. Either way, it’s pretty darn regal, if you ask me. Who is Gouher Sultana? An Indian cricketer – left-arm spinner extraordinaire – with over 80 international caps and close to 100 wickets to her credit. A Hyderabad captain with over 20 years of domestic cricket under her belt and around 550 wickets in her kitty. A championship-winning maverick who’s carried many a team on her shoulders. An incredible teammate, role model and mentor – arguably one of the best going around. A disciplined, dedicated, hard-working, keen student of the game whose drive has not once diminished over the last two decades. A 30-something-year-old with a great sense of humour, a hearty laugh, a generous ...

Have you ever felt such an attachment to a team that you live and breathe their results? Have you ever become so invested in their success that every move of each one of their players becomes something you track — simply because? Have you rearranged your routine to make sure you’re able to watch said team? And has this team’s success sometimes lifted you from the depths of darkness? If you’re a sports fan, I bet your answer is yes. Sport is like that… it draws us in, wraps us tightly in its grip, and before we know it, there’s no escape. Often, there’s no logical explanation as to why you love a certain team. It could be a loyalty that is passed down through generations, a connection that grew when your favourite player joined them, a fascination that began due to an obsession with their jersey (you know who you are!) or something even more bizarre. Today, I’m telling my story of a sports team that saved my life… Dramatic, I know, but hey, it’s my story. This is a team to which I will ...

6 December 2021 – my first official day as a freelancer – was one that came with nervousness, excitement and relief. It was like a long exhale having held my breath for far too long. It was an adventure into the unknown. I was dreading it… but there was also a glimmer of hope. What followed was a year of unending questions, doubts, crippling anxiety, fear and hopelessness intertwined with fleeting moments of excitement, relief, gratitude, inspiration and determination. There were the highs that came with covering a World Cup, working with some wonderful people (thanks for taking a chance on me), speaking to some of the world’s best, and a sense of freedom that came with going to another country, but the overwhelming feeling was one of doubt and being directionless. Did I do the right thing? Am I any good at what I do? I am no longer useful. Will people forget me? How do I stay relevant? What if I fail? Maybe I’m just a fraud… I don’t know any of this. What skills do I even have? Yup, I...

Over the last five domestic tournaments, spread across three seasons, Niranjana Nagarajan has scored over 800 runs and taken more than 35 wickets. In 2019-20, she registered her maiden T20 century when opening the batting against Mizoram. In 2020-21, she finished as the highest wicket-taker among the seamers with 14 scalps. In 2021-22, she grabbed her second List-A six-for, ripping through Uttarakhand’s line-up to finish with figures of 6 for 37 – the second-best figures in the season, and the best by a pacer. Every year, her knocks on the selectors’ door have become progressively louder, but so far, they have been ignored. At 34, Niranjana, a pace bowling allrounder from Tamil Nadu, is no spring chicken. She last played for India in 2016; she last featured in a Challenger Trophy in 2016-17; and the last time she played at a ‘higher’ level than the state team was in 2018 – the last inter-zonal tournament in Trivandrum. If you were a betting person, you may be hesitant to bet on a comeb...

The eight captains pose with the trophy. (ICC) The 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa is fast approaching. The dates are out, the venues nailed down, and the excitement around the tournament is building nicely. However, before we get to South Africa for the first game, there is the simple matter of identifying the final two teams who will make the trip there. That will be done over the course of the next week at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi, where between September 18 to 25, eight teams will battle it out for that coveted prize. Bangladesh and Thailand, who were part of the previous World Cup in 2020, will be joined by the five regional qualifiers — Papua New Guinea (EAP), Scotland (Europe), United Arab Emirates (Asia), United States of America (Americas) and Zimbabwe (Africa) — and the highest ranked non-winner, ie Ireland. The teams have been divided into two groups of four and will play each other once, with the top two teams from each group pro...