From stitching big partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar to thrashing Shane Warne to leading the India U19 World Cup Team, Amit Pagnis has seen as well as experienced the golden phase of cricket in his heydays. What’s more his journey does not end there, Amit Pagnis went on to score over 5000+ first class runs before finally hanging up his boots in 2008.
But as we say, once a cricketer, always a cricketer and it’s difficult to keep such personalities away from the game. Amit now serves as the Head Batting Coach for all age groups at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA Academy) where he shares his valuable experience with the youngsters.
Cricketgraph got an opportunity to interact with Amit Pagnis where he shared all the memories of his U19 World Cup Days which had the likes of Virender Sehwag , Mohammad Kaif and Harbhajan Singh playing under him. Amit also shared about his partnerships with Sachin to how he took on the legendary Shane Warne.
In the full interview he also courteously answers all the questions asked by our Community.
This lockdown has taught us many things which have been nothing but positive. Many of us have also realized that lockdown can be a good opportunity to cover up those pending things which we did not have time for earlier. Even amongst the cricketers, most of the players are enrolling in some or the other online courses which ranges from Cricket Workshops to Marketing to make the most of their idle time.
These few months of no cricket has been a loss for the young aspiring cricketers as they have lost a crucial season from their career. However, with the rise of social media and technology, many academies and coaches are trying to keep the players in sync with their game through online coaching.
Hence, we at Cricketgraph have come up with an initiative for U12 to U23 Age Group (Boys & Girls) with a 3 Day Online Workshop. The players will get a chance to interact with Mumbai U19 Strength & Conditioning Coach to experienced Cricketers of Mumbai. The students will also recieve guidance on the do’s and don’t’s, the pathway to become a successful cricketer.
The workshop will focus on mental skills & game observation. The other key highlights will be understanding the concept of Strength & Conditioning in Cricket, develop performance analysis to improve session by session in a match. This is also a very relevant opportunity for the parents as well as for for girls who want to or who are pursuing Cricket.
The Online Session will be of 1.5hrs daily conducted over Zoom. The dates for this workshop have been set at 14th, 15th & 16th of May, 2020. The timings will be communicated to all the participants over the mail.
Click on the link to register:
Slow and steady wins the race and Aakarshit Gomel is one such example who does justice to this phrase. Gomel kept his calm on and off the field for quite some years before he finally donned the Mumbai Cap this year in Ranji Trophy. Solid technique and patience have been his forte right since his early years. He displayed his perseverance at the age of 9 itself when he scored 48 off 356 balls in U13 CPCC tournament. An innings which helped his team survive tough sessions and win the game on Quotient.
Many of his peers felt his Ranji Trophy Debut was long overdue and many people from the Cricket community adore his style of solid batting. Yes we are talking about the promising Aakarshit Gomel who reposed everyone’s faith by hammering a hundred on his Ranji Trophy Debut for Mumbai, the kind of start which many cricketers dream of.
In a candid conversation with Cricketgraph powered by Hell Energy , Aakarshit shares about his cricket journey so far. He also shares how he felt when he donned that Mumbai Cap which he received from Suryakumar Yadav. Gomel further shared the kind of hardwork & regimen one has to go through to become a first class cricketer. In the video interview, he also talks about his nets sessions with Jasprit Bumrah & Hardik Pandya while answers a range of community questions.
Life has its own sweet tales and legendary actor Irrfan Khan who passed away recently has certainly left behind quite a few tales about his inspiring journey.
Not many know that Irrfan Khan who has a career spanning over 3 decades in Global Cinema with more than 74 films wanted to become a cricketer. The Oscar Winning Actor was about to represent his state team in Ranji Trophy until he faced some financial hurdles in the U23 Age Group.
Irrfan was a promising all-rounder and probably the youngest too in his Jaipur side, he was also selected in the U23 Col CK Nayadu Trophy which is considered to be the first step towards getting a place in the First Class Team. However, he felt short of Rs 600 which was required at that time to travel from Jaipur to Ajmer to make it into the U23 side.
The lack of funds eventually led his cricket career to a premature end. His sister eventually arranged Rs 300/- and got him admitted to National School of Drama (acting and arts being his 2nd love). The loss of Cricket World became a gain for Indian Cinema as he thrived as an actor across award winning films in his career spanning 30 years.
Excerpts from Irrfan “I played cricket. I wanted to become a cricketer. I was an all-rounder and the youngest one in my team in Jaipur. I wanted to make a career out of it. I was selected for the CK Nayudu tournament I think and then I needed money and didn’t know who to ask. That day I decided I cannot pursue it. I couldn’t have asked for Rs 600 at that time,” Khan had revealed to Telegraph India, in an interview.
Irrfan eventually believed that Cricket has loads of expectations and the competition is intense while acting is an open sea which has no limits. “An artist can keep expressing through his work” the words of Irrfan which completely does justice to his skills.
The current pandemic situation has affected one and all, and one of the most affected sectors within the cricket community are the Maalis / Groundsman of Mumbai cricket.
These difficult times have brought various human dimensions / emotions in play, some of them have become reclusive, others are going with the flow and there are those who have decided to take it upon themselves and selflessly help out others in need.
One such humanitarian & leadership act was recently demonstrated by Vihang Sarnaik, who decided to help the maalis & groundsman of Mumbai. Vihang is an active politician and an apex member of the Mumbai Cricket Association and he used this strength to bring about a positive change in the cricket community.
Vihang pulled out the entire list of official maalis from MCA within Mumbai & distributed one months ration / essentials.
A short while back cricketgraph had initiated a campaign for groundsmen called as “Maali ko do Taali” which received tremendous support from within & beyond Mumbai.
Speaking with Cricketgraph, Vihang shared “I tried my best to support our Maalis and groundsmen who take care of all the maidans in Mumbai. With food items including rice, wheat, cooking oil, dal, salt, sugar, tea etc sustainable for a month. This is a small effort I felt I should make as a cricket lover and i hope it brings some relief to these individuals & their families. If you come across any such needy who needs help or guidance please remember i am just a call away”
Vihang so far has ensured assistance to atleast 65 maalis whom he has distributed personally across all regions of Mumbai and MMR while he states that as and when numbers increase, shall provide more in those regions whoever is in need.
The 1 month Grocery Kit which each Maali received:
- 2kg oil
- Chai 1/2 kg
- Sugar – 2kg
- Aata – 3kg
- Rice – 3kg
- Tur daal – 2kg
- Salt – 1kg
Some Snaps from his visit to the maidans-
There are numerous groundsmen across India whose only source of Income is by cleaning and maintaining the wickets to ensure the cricketers can play at their best. Their contribution to the outcome of the matches as well as to a player’s career have been the most unnoticeable aspects of the game. Especially on public grounds like Azad Maidan, Matunga Gymkhana, Cross Maidan where Maalis require our help.
To host a game of any level from local, Club to International level, groundsmen toil hard for hours under the sun and rain. They surpass challenging conditions to help us play at our full potential.
They prepare and maintain the playable wickets where the ball speeds away, turns and the pitches which shape the destiny of players as well as the teams. Yet their hard work is not always noticed under the spotlight and their incentive remains to be the occasional praises or appreciation from the cricketers. Their community despite being such crucial contributors in this game of cricket seems to be far away from the glamorous planet which Indian Cricket has become. Usually, a groundsman employed by a Cricket Association or BCCI has a somewhat decent level of security compared to the ones who work at public maidans.
Amidst this time, it’s them who have suffered the biggest hit, with Cricket matches delayed, cancelled or rescheduled for the next few months. The groundsmen/maalis of the public maidans will be facing tough times to run their livelihood. What’s more, many of them are sole earners of the family whose income depends on the matches being played on a daily basis. With no cricket games to be played, the fate of their income also seems to be in dilemma for the coming months.
In an initiative to help these people in whatever capacity we can, we at Cricketgraph have come up with an initiative called “MAALI KO DO TAALI” where any person or any level of cricketer can make a contribution whose proceeds will go towards the relief of Groundsman & all the other aspects of cricket where the money can be of help.
Link to participate in the initiative-
Maali Ko Do Taali Campaign to raise funds for Cricket Groundsmen & Maali
Cricket across the world as well as in India is widely followed. Most of the levels below IPL and Indian Cricket is hardly aware amongst the masses. In Mumbai alone, on an average 500+ local level matches are played everyday across various levels. Across these matches, everyday there are players who come up with outstanding performances.
It is important to motivate such cricketers who often go unnoticed. It’s important that relevant people at the right time stand up for the cause. Cricketgraph which endeavors in promoting cricket from its grassroots just got the right partner in TYGER Sports.
One of the leading brands in Cricket-Tyger Sports has joined hands with Cricketgraph. Tyger Sports has taken an initiative to felicitate bowlers across Mumbai’s Club & Corporate Cricket. With T20 and T10 witnessing tremendous growth, it has slowly become a batsman’s game despite bowlers slogging it out equally. Most of the times, the bowlers are often dwarfed with batsman taking a better chunk of the limelight. However, Cricketgraph in partnership with Tyger Sports will be keeping a tab on the bowlers who are performing well in Mumbai Cricket.
The Winners will be awarded Tyger Sports T-shirts, Caps & other Cricket Merchandise. Also their performances will be highlighted and published on Cricketgraph website & its social media handles. This partnership will be exclusive for Purple Cap which will be for the max wickets and Yellow Cap for the maximum votes (most popular player).
Here are the Tyger Sports Winners for the month of February’20
Mihir Kumar Shah from SKP Athletics-TYGER SPORTS Purple Cap Winner for February’20
Mihir Shah is one of the experience bowlers in Mumbai Club Cricket. The left arm spinner has been amongst the wickets since quite a few seasons. For the uninitiated, Mihir is a strike bowler and a senior member of the SKP Athletics team. Mihir’s recent performances in the Bombay Junior Shield made him an ideal candidate for the coveted Purple Cap. In the Bombay Junior Shield, Mihir came up with a spell of 5/10 in 8 overs alongwith 4 maidens vs Poisar Brothers. He also took an impressive 4/31 vs Aiming Master CC.
Mihir on the back of his impressive spells played a crucial role in his team’s wins. As a result, Mihir was rightly adjudged the TYGER Sports Purple Cap Winner for the month of February’20.
Karan Patil from Mandvi Muslim Sports Club-TYGER Sports Yellow Cap Winner for February’20
One thing Karan Patil has definitely proved is that he enjoys a lot of popularity in the Mumbai Cricketing Circles. Karan was won the TYGER Sports Yellow Cap (Most Popular Player) by a massive vote margin of 1592 votes. Karan plays from Mandvi Muslim Sports Club & he is a slow left arm orthodox spinner. Karan had taken a match winning 5/39 vs Khandala CC in the Bombay Junior Shield’20 which certainly brought him into limelight.
The Winners were awarded ICC Approved Tyger Sports Cricket T-Shirt which is ideal for wearing during matches. The T-shirts are finely crafted taking in note the players requirements where they have to sweat it out under extreme conditions. Apart from that, the winners were also awarded Certificates for their outstanding performances.
Know more about the brand:
ICC Approved TYGER Sports partners with Cricketgraph for TYGER Bowler of the Month
The grassroot cricket in any corner of the world more often than not goes unnoticed despite the fact that any player who reaches International Cricket has to spend good amount of years playing local and club level cricket in the beginning. A player does not reach International or First Class level directly, it is from the grassroot level, a player goes on to become a Domestic or an International Cricketer.
Performances at grassroot level needs to be appreciated as it keeps the players pumped up. Also the very fact when players start to realize that their performances at local level are now getting appreciated, the overall quality of the game also improves. Thanks to Zbat.in for taking a brilliant initiative to laud Club & Corporate cricketers with Purple Cap (Most Runs) and Yellow Cap (Most Popular) every month.
This initiative is indeed benefitting the cricketing ecosystem giving talented cricketers a platform where their performances are getting noticed.
Here are the Z-Bat Club Cricket Cap Winners for the Month of February’20
Manan Bhatt- Z-Bat Orange Cap Leader for the month of February’20
One of the youngest players at the age of 15 to participate in the MCA Bombay Junior Shield Tournament this year, right handed Manan Bhatt since his early days has been one promising batsman who has often came up with very good performances in various tournaments. Manan is also amongst the top scorers this season in Bombay Junior Shield where he has come up with some brilliant half centuries.
Representing Friends CC, Manan’s 68 ball 84 at the middle order vs Bombay Union CC or his run a ball 93 vs Young National CC are some of the testimonies of his promise with the bat. What’s more, Bhatt’s knock of 93 also helped his team won in a commanding manner. Hence, it was on the back of his consistent batting this season, Manan won the Z-bat Orange Cap for the month of February’20
Vinay Kunwar- Yellow Cap Leader (Most Popular Player) for the month of February’20
If you talk about consistency, Vinay Kunwar has been one player who has impressed one and all with his consistent batting in the MCA Bombay Junior Shield. Playing for Amar CC, Vinay Kunwar smashed 3 gritty half centuries in the tournament and the best part is his team won on all the 3 occassions. Vinay scored a 59 ball vs Bombay Gymkhana, then a solid 60 ball 50 vs Thane Friends CC followed by a patient 51 off 81 balls vs Milton Cricket Club.
With that amount of consistency, he certainly became a vital cog for his team while also got popular amongst the players community as he won the Yellow Cap with a massive margin of 428 votes which is exactly a 105 votes more than his nearest competitor Amar Narkar who plays for Gamdevi Cricketers.
The Z-Bat Orange Cap Winner was awarded with a swanky new Cricket Willow worth Rs 2400/– from Zbat.in while the Yellow Cap Winner won a handsome cash voucher worth Rs 2400/- which he can avail at the Z-bat Clinic to get a new bat or for any of their other services. Adding to this, players would also be able to avail an unique experience of an official tour of the Z bat clinic situated in Parel.
About the Brand-
Z-bats is deemed as the revolutionary brand in the market which aims at professionalizing the game of cricket by scientifically manufacturing the bats for players, Since their inception, they have been striving to flourish with new ideas and they continue to do so. Cricketgraph also has been the endorser of new ideas and innovations throughout its journey. Cricketgraph and Z bats have officially come together as brand partners to mark a new journey of game development and innovation. Both of them have tied hands for further projects and a new partnership.
Zbat Website-
Know more about the brand-
Mumbai Cricket Association XI after being put to bat first completely didn’t disappoint posting a very competitive total of 181/6 in 20 overs. Even though their innings lacked a big knock but their middle order players chipped in well. Jeetinder Dhawan (41 off 30), Siddarth Chavda (48 off 37) & Vijay Singh (37 off 22) played well top scoring for the team. From the bowlers, Seshadri Govirdhan with 2/35 in 4 overs was the pick of the lot.
Chasing 182 at just above 9 runs per over is not the easiest of tasks on any given day but the good start by Chembur Gymkhana openers ensured they were right in the game. Openers Pranav Punjabi (36 off 39) and Ganesh Rai stitched a massive 121 run opening stand in mere 81 balls which certainly made things easy for Chembur Gymkhana. Ganesh Rai steered the chase as he went on to score a fluent 82 off 47 balls laced with 12 fours and 1 six. Pavan Patheja (34 off 18) and Chirag Amin (20* off 13) at no.3 & 4 played the finishers role to perfection as Chembur Gymkhana crossed the target with 7 wkts and 2 balls to spare.
Ganesh Rai for his brilliant 82 was declared “man of the match”
Scorecard Link-
https://www.crichq.com/matches/833464/2nd_innings
Maulik’s ton goes in vain as Osians clinch an Commanding win in the Gannon Dunkerly Tournament’20
India First Insurance batting first at Asahi Glass Factory, Taloja posted a big total of 201/4 in 20 overs. Opener Akshay Gaikwad top scored with 54 runs off 33 balls. Besides him, him all-rounder Babli Sharma at the middle order played the finishers knock scoring a brilliant 50* off 24 balls. Babli’s knock consisted 6 fours and 1 sixes. Babli has been a crucial player for Indiafirst since few seasons. Babli has became a vital cog for his team often coming up with crucial knocks at the middle or lower middle order. However, in this particular match, it was Rugved More from opposite team who attracted maximum attention.
FCC Sunrisers in reply could only muster a total of 181/6 in 20 overs. Opener Rugved More impressed one and all with his impressive strokeplay. Despite minimal support from the other end, Rugved kept on plonking bowlers with ease. More smashed 7 sixes and 11 boundaries en-route his commendable knock of 125 runs off 71 balls.
FCC lost the match by 20 runs but Rugved More grabbed all the attention with his enterprising knock. It was because of his fighting knock, More earned the “Player of the Match” award.
Scorecard Link-
Rugved More’s rock-solid 87 and Sahil’s 7/43 steers Kalyan to a win in the Kalpesh Koli Tournament