Want to Hit Sixes Like MS Dhoni, Says Manzoor Dar — Only Kashmiri in IPL

Agencies
January 30, 2018

New Delhi, Jan 30: From working as a labourer on a daily wage of Rs 60 to fetching an IPL contract worth Rs 20 lakh. Jammu and Kashmir batsman Manzoor Dar has covered a distance more awe-inspiring than the 100-metre sixes he is known for.

Considering the hardships he has faced, the IPL contract with Kings XI Punjab is a life-changing moment for the big-hitting Dar, who finally foresees better times for him and his large family living in a nondescript village in Bandipora district.

Many were made overnight millionaires but if there was one happy story emerging for the IPL auction last weekend, it was Dar. The burly batsman, who earned a name for hitting 100 metre sixes, was the last player to be bought by Kings XI Punjab.

"I am really thankful to god for this opportunity, also KXIP and Preity (Zinta) mam. My life has been full of struggle and when I finally found a team (at auction), I thought about the time I used to earn Rs 60 in the village as a daily labourer," Dar told PTI from Jammu where he is preparing for the state team trials for the Vijay Hazare Trophy next month.

Being the only player from Jammu and Kashmir to be picked in the IPL was a big deal not only for his small village but for the entire state.

"I spoke to my mother a short while ago. She told me some 30,000 people came to my house to congratulate. It is really moving to receive such love," he said.

Dar was a natural when it came to hitting huge sixes. He was looking for ways to make money to take care of his younger siblings, four sisters and three brothers, and one day he was told by his local coach to ply his trade in club cricket.

He found instant recognition there but juggling between the night job of a security guard and playing the next morning was not easy.

"But it was the only way I could keep playing. I worked as a night guard from 2008 to 2012 but it was also the time I made my name in club cricket. The aim was to play as many matches as possible because it meant more money. I clearly remember I did not have shoes or cricket gear when I played my first club game," he recalled.

"It was not until 2011 when I started thinking that cricket could be a long-term career option. That was the first time I gave trials for the state team but could only make my domestic debut in 2017," said Dar, who has nine T20s and four List A games since his maiden state appearance in January last year.

He is mainly known as 'Pandav' in cricketing circles but that is not just because of his big-hitting prowess.

"I was in seventh grade and we were playing a zonal kabaddi match. Five points were needed and I raided into the opposition area and dragged three players to my side. Since then they started calling me Pandav. The entire valley knows me by this name only."

Jammu and Kashmir's Parveez Rasool, who has also played for India, went unsold in the auction and Dar was only the second last player to go under the hammer in the two-day event.

He was hopeful of getting a team last year but when Rajasthan Royals called him for trials this time, he became more confident about his chances. Only two weeks ago, Dar was playing against his hero Yuvraj Singh in a domestic T20 event in Delhi, but never thought they both could be teammates. Yuvraj too will be representing KXIP this season.

"It will be huge to play alongside him. The others in the game whom I look up to are Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni. I always wanted to hit sixes like Dhoni," he gushed.

Rs 20 lakh may not be a huge amount for modern-day cricketers but for Dar, it is the beginning of a better life.

"I have been building the house back home for the past three years. It still doesn't have doors and windows but hopefully I would be able to get the work done now. I will also use the money for the treatment of my ailing mother," said Dar.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Hampshire, Jul 31: David Willey's maiden five-wicket haul guided England to a six-wicket victory over Ireland in the first ODI here on Friday.

With this win, the hosts have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Chasing a small target of 173 runs, England got off to a bad start as opener Jonny Bairstow was given LBW in the third over, bowled by Andy McBrine. Jason Roy was then joined by James Vince and the duo added 22 runs on the board before the former was dismissed.

Craig Young then got hold of Vince, who was caught behind after scoring 25 runs. Sam Billings and Tom Banton then took the charge of the chase but the latter too was caught behind which ended his 11-run innings.

Banton's dismissal brought skipper Eoin Morgan on the field. Billings and Morgan played stunning innings and kept scoring boundaries. Morgan struck a scintillating six on the last bowl of the 28th over to take England over the line. Morgan scored 36 runs while Billings played a knock of 67 runs.

Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Ireland witnessed a poor start as Paul Stirling was dismissed in the very first over of the innings, bowled by Willey. Andy Balbirnie then joined Gareth Delany but Willey struck again in his next over, removing Balbirnie.

Delany then played furiously and smashed three consecutive boundaries to Saqib Mahmood in the fourth over. However, the fall of wickets did not stop as England took three wickets in quick succession. Mahmood bowled Harry Tector while Delany and Lorcan Tucker were sent back to the pavilion by Willey.

Kevin O'Brien and Curtis Campher then took the charge and played cautiously, taking their struggling side over the 50-run mark. Adil Rashid got hold of O'Brien (22) in the 22nd over before Simranjit Singh was run out in the same over.

Andy McBrine was the next batsman and he played brilliantly along with Campher, who went on to complete his half-century. Both formed a 66-run partnership before McBrine (40) was dismissed by Tom Curran.

Campher remained unbeaten on 59 but failed to find a partner as England bundled out Ireland on 172 runs.

The second ODI between both teams will be played on Saturday.

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News Network
January 9,2020

Kuala Lampur, Jan 9: Saina Nehwal and reigning world champion P V Sindhu produced dominating performances to progress to the women's singles quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament here on Thursday.

Sixth seed Sindhu notched up a commanding 21-10 21-15 victory over Japan's Aya Ohori in a pre-quarterfinal match lasting just 34 minutes. It was Sindhu's ninth successive win over Ohori.

The 24-year-old Indian, who won the World Championships in Basel last year, will take on world number 1 Tai Tzu Ying in the quarterfinals after the Chinese Taipei shuttler got the better of South Korea's Sung Ji Hyun 21-18 16-21 21-10.

Saina, who had won the Indonesia Masters last year before going through a rough patch, dispatched eight seed An Se Young of South Korea 25-23 21-12 after a thrilling 39-minute contest to make the last eight.

This is Saina's first win over the South Korean, who got the better of the Indian in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year.

The two-time Commonwealth Games champion will next take on Olympic champion Carolina Marin.

Saina had defeated Lianne Tan of Belgium 21-15 21-17 in the opening round on Wednesday.

In the men's singles, India's challenge ended after both Sameer Verma and HS Prannoy crashed out in the second round.

While Verma lost to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia 19-21 20-22, Prannoy was shown the door by top seed Kento Momota of Japan 14-21 16-21.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

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