Days after Nana Patekar's death, old friend and actor Susmita Mukherjee remembered him with a soul-stirring tribute. Sharing pictures from Deepti Naval's birthday party on 3rd of February, 1991, Sushmita mused over the lost time, innocence and moments that became intrinsically attached with persons who were part of the memory. "Just the four of us. Wine, music, laughter, and even a piano. A little world of our own, untouched by the complexities of life that lay ahead. "And then, one of us slipped away. We mourned not just the person we had lost, but also the absence of what once was - the moments, the togetherness, the innocence, and a time we could never return to," wrote Susmita. Susmita recalled the bygone time when a dear friend of 38 years sent her a bunch of photographs. "The memories were hazy, the details blurred by time. But the moment I looked at those photographs, something magical happened. They awakened a part of my brain where memor...
Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly did not mince words when asked for his reaction on the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc's availability for the start of IPL 2026. Delhi Capitals said at the press conference that they are waiting for a green signal from Cricket Australia. And this is what Dada said while in Delhi for a brand endorsement for Jakson, "It hurts... because when quality players don't come in at the last minute, it shakes the balance of the team." Starc is set to miss the opening phase of the season as Cricket Australia carefully manages his workload ahead of a packed 2026-27 calendar. The timing could not be worse as franchises build their squads and strategies around marquee overseas players.
Ganguly, speaking on the broader issue of player availability in franchise cricket, said the impact of such late withdrawals is far greater in the IPL than in international cricket.
"It hurts because I've always said making an Indian team is easier than making an IPL team. Because the best players are available all the time to be picked. IPL is 10 teams that players get distributed. And when quality players don't come in at the last minute, obviously it shakes up the balance of the team."
He hit on the depth available in international squads, that is rarely mirrored in franchise setups.
"Because the substitutes, the availability is not as strong as the one who's not turned up... But in IPL if Mitchell Starc misses out or Pathirana misses out, the void is very hard to fill. So that's one of the challenges."
The former India captain, however, stopped short of criticising workload management itself, acknowledging the toll modern cricket takes on players across formats and leagues.
"Workload management is very important because players do play a lot of cricket. It's not just the IPL... more than physical, the mental part takes over. Away from home, away from families. It's never easy. So it's a balance which will continue to happen."
England cricketer Ben Duckett also pulled out of IPL 2026 as he wanted to concentrate on international cricket.
The uncertainty has not gone down well with commentators either. Harsha Bhogle called the lack of clarity around Starc's status "frustrating", especially in a league where franchises invest heavily in overseas stars. He argued that teams deserve firmer assurances when they commit significant portions of their salary purse to marquee players and warned that repeated episodes could push franchises towards stricter contract clauses and heavier financial deductions.
Delhi Capitals had structured their bowling attack around Starc's pace and new-ball threat, but this forces them to rethink.
This is not the first time the IPL has had to navigate the complicated triad of international calendars, bilateral commitments and franchise expectations. With players now juggling national duty, multiple T20 leagues and personal rest windows, such situations are likely to recur. As Ganguly put it, "Injuries will happen. Players will have problems... and you have to deal with it."
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/3PLtFBA
via IFTTT
Comments
Post a Comment