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Time of India
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Mumbai's Ravindra Sante to lead India's mixed disability team on England tour
Ravindra Sante Exeter: Ravindra Gopinath Sante's journey is a remarkable example that can inspire aspiring cricketers with disabilities across India — proving that dreams can indeed come true. A paralysed right hand since childhood didn't stop this left-arm spinning allrounder from making a mark in Mumbai's top local tournaments, including the prestigious Kanga League and Times Shield, where he competed and held his own against able-bodied cricketers, some of whom went on to represent Mumbai and India. In his early days, Sante would travel 116 kilometres daily by local train from Dombivli to Virar to train under Ravindra Patil, assistant and fielding coach of the Indian mixed disability team. It's been a long journey both on and off the field and today, he stands at the helm of something truly special. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Starting Saturday (June 21) in Taunton, the 36-year-old from the village of Kolegaon in Dombivli will captain India's mixed disability team in a seven-match T20I series against hosts England. A highlight of the tour will be the third T20I at Lord's on June 25 — a rare and proud occasion for India's mixed disability cricketers at the iconic 'Home of Cricket.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Another standout fixture is scheduled for July 1 in Bristol, where the team will play a double-header, with the Indian women's team taking on England later that evening. That match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, while all matches will be streamed in India on Sony LIV, which is also covering the Indian men's and women's tours of England. Shubman's Big Test Begins! India's Probable XI & Stokes' Mind Games | ENG vs IND 1st Test Preview "It's a proud feeling to lead India's mixed disability team," Sante told Mumbai Mirror on Thursday. "It'll be a new and different experience because earlier there were separate teams for different disabilities. This is the first time India is fielding a mixed disability team and it includes players with physical, learning, and hearing/speech impairments. All three disability categories are coming together for the first time." Reflecting on how far the ecosystem has come, Sante said: 'When I started, we'd travel in unreserved train compartments, often sitting near toilets on the way to national tournaments. But things have improved tremendously, thanks to the tireless work of people like Ravi Chauhan (General Secretary, Differently-Abled Cricket Council of India). This tour, for instance, has the support of the ECB, ICC, and the BCCI. We've done well against the England Lions Mixed Disability team in warm-ups and are confident of winning this series.' Quiz: Who's that IPL player? Sante was just six months old when two faulty injections by a doctor paralysed his right arm. Raised in a modest household, he discovered cricket relatively late. 'I started playing leather-ball cricket while representing KV Pendharkar College. Growing up in Dombivli, we didn't have the kind of facilities kids have today. During one college match, I scored a half-century, and the umpire from the opposing team was so impressed and that's where my journey truly began. My father, who passed away a decade ago, always supported me. Like many parents, he never insisted I stick to a regular job,' he recalled. Sante, now a Central Railway employee and father of two, added: 'Back then, I didn't even know disability cricket existed. One day, a local corporator hosted an exhibition match for differently-abled players. That's where I met Ravi Patil sir. For two to three years after that, I travelled daily to train at his Sainath Cricket Club in Virar. Soon, I was selected for Maharashtra , and then for India.' 'We were short one player, so I added him to the Maharashtra squad at the last minute for the nationals. And look at him now,' Patil said with pride. Sante currently plays for Garware Club House in the Kanga League and Cosmopolitan Shield, and for Mumbai Sports Association, a team under Central Railway in the Times Shield 'C' Division. Having overcome personal adversity, it's no surprise Sante draws inspiration from India's 2011 World Cup hero, Yuvraj Singh . 'I loved his fielding, his fighting spirit, and his unbelievable performance during the 2011 World Cup, even while battling cancer. I'll always cherish meeting Yuvraj sir at his home in Gurgaon, just before our tour to Afghanistan in 2016,' Sante fondly shared. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'You take silly point!': Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara relive friendly fielding fights at book launch
Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma (Getty Images) At the launch of The Diary of a Cricketer's Wife, penned by Puja Pujara, Indian cricket stars Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara brought the house down with their playful banter and behind-the-scenes stories from their time on the field. Reminiscing about their playing days, Rohit revealed a humorous tussle the two often had — not over runs or wickets, but over who would be stuck at fielding positions like short leg and silly point. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "We fight amongst each other, who will take the short leg, who will take the silly point," Rohit chuckled. "and Pujji [Pujara] used to be like 'I'm No.3, so I need to rest more than you'. So you take that because I used to bat at No.5 and 6. And then we decided among us ..." Interrupting with a smile, Pujara added, "But it turned around later when he started opening in Tests. Then he said, 'Now I'm the opener, so you go stand at short leg!' I had no answer — I just went." Poll Should cricketers be more open about their humorous experiences? Yes, definitely! No, keep it serious The duo also shared their early memories of playing for Indian Oil in the Times Shield. "We had a strong batting line-up," Pujara recalled. "In one game, we scored over 800 runs. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The best seat when batting with Rohit was the non-striker's end — he just took the bowlers on." WATCH: Another amusing tale came from a 2012 India A tour in Trinidad and Tobago, when Pujara got mobbed late at night while searching for vegetarian food. Rohit grinned, "Moral of the story — we told him not to go out after 9pm. But he's stubborn." Rohit also lauded Pujara for playing over 100 Tests after suffering ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries to both his knees right at the start of his career. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Pujara last played a Test in June 2023, having scored 7,195 runs in 103 matches at an average of 43.60 — but the camaraderie with Rohit remains timeless.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Mumbai teen Ayush looks set for the long cricket ride
Mumbai: When one met Ayush Mhatre at the Mumbai Cricket Association annual awards function on March 20, he had a T20 match the next day. 'From our home in Virar, he was travelling by car for the Panvel (Navi Mumbai Premier League) matches. It used to take four hours one way,' says his father Yogesh. After the semi-final played under lights, he reached home at 4 am. But such is the teenager's craze for playing matches, Ayush doesn't mind the travel. 'He is playing matches non-stop. You can take him anywhere for a match. After the tournament, next day he had his three-day Times Shield match for Bharat Petroleum,' says his school coach Sachin Koli for whose team Ayush was playing in Panvel. The 17-year-old opening batter's journey has not been easy. Hailing from Virar, Mumbai's farthest suburb on the western line, pursuing his passion for cricket has meant spending a lot of time commuting in local trains. Virar to Dadar one way is nearly 90 minutes. He has been doing it right from his school days. 'He doesn't mind the long commute, he just wants to go back home to Virar. Ayush says even a couple of hours sleep at home freshens him up. He catches up on sleep while travelling. The moment he sits in the local train, he falls asleep, that's a habit since childhood,' says Yogesh, an ex-banker. Logging in so many miles chasing his dream shows his hunger for scoring runs. Picked early by the Mumbai Cricket Association at the start of this season, he has underlined his potential as a special talent. After making his first-class debut in the Irani Cup match for Mumbai, he made a half-century on Ranji Trophy debut in Baroda and a hundred (176 off 232 balls) in his second Ranji game against Maharashtra. His progress in the one year has been mighty impressive. Calling his progress nothing short of miraculous, his full-time coach Prashant Shetty says: 'In less than a year, he has debuted in Irani, Ranji, Vijay Hazare, India under-19 as well as IPL.' After international cricket, there's no bigger stage than IPL. On Saturday, he made everyone take notice with a superb 94 (48 balls) for Chennai Super Kings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. This season, little has gone CSK's way – they lost to RCB by 2 runs – but Mhatre has been one of the few positives. As CSK look to rebuild, they see Ayush as one for the future. 'He's got talent, hand-eye coordination. He's got a beautiful, silky swing. He's aggressive. Everything we like about a modern-day T20 player. But to me, it's the temperament and being able to execute in a trial and then on the big stage. It's one thing to have a lot of shots, but to be able to execute that game plan on a big stage in front of some of the biggest players in the world is what I admire,' CSK coach Stephen Fleming said at the press conference. With so many former players working as experts, one's potential gets quickly noticed in IPL. Ayush impressed. Without having to slog, he showed the ability to play shots all around by getting into good position. Coach Shetty points to the teenager's belief. 'He batted (chasing 214) like he was the senior partner. He was clear he had to take as much responsibility as any senior player and win the match. His ability to pick the length is very good, and he has a clear mind-set. He didn't change his game because he was out in the 30s in the earlier games.' A relaxed atmosphere at CSK despite a difficult season has helped Ayush fit in. As luck would have it, he made his IPL debut at Wankhede, his homeground. Picked as replacement (for injured skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad), he was asked to join up at Mumbai. His father and school coach Koli were in the room when Fleming walked in. The meeting ahead of the game lasted just a couple of minutes. The coach had come to just inform Ayush he was batting at No.3. 'We've a pretty relaxed camp. He was very comfortable from day one and the team was very comfortable with him. Hopefully, it's the start of a long relationship,' said Fleming. Ayush did entertain the Wankhede crowd, including his extended family members, with a 15-ball 32. 'About 20 of us had gone to watch. It was a terrific experience,' Yogesh said. 'We took the 12.30 (am) return train to Virar, reached home around 2.30.' Usually, families with cricket kids move to the city to save commute time, but the Mhatres find that thought alien. Brought up in a joint family, with a house amidst open fields, the idea of living in a flat doesn't fit in. With the runs flowing from Ayush's bat, the Mhatres from Virar are braced for long local train trips to the stadium.
