Sports
Pune where one of cricket’s biggest upsets unfolded
Rex Clementine
in Pune
Pune will host the second T-20 International between Sri Lanka and India and this city is famous for witnessing one of cricket’s biggest upsets. Two time World Champions West Indies were humbled by Kenya as Maurice Odumbe became the cynosure of all eyes during the 1996 World Cup.
That was the old ground in Pune though, known as Nehru Stadium in the heart of the city. Sri Lanka will be playing at the new ground known as Maharashtra State Association Stadium. The distance between the old ground and the new ground is like between Pallekele and Asgiriya.
Maharashtra is one of the 36 states in India. But it has three teams in First Class cricket because geographically the state is large and there’s too many cricketing talents. Bombay is one of the First Class teams from the state while Pune is the base for the Maharashtra team. There is also a team called Vidarbha who are based in Nagpur.
Pune has had some tough times in recent years. The authorities here in order to build the new stadium struck a deal with Indian company Sahara whereby they would get US$ three million and the naming rights of the stadium will be given to Sahara. The stadium was even initially known as Subrata Roy Stadium, after the founder of Sahara. Then the business tycoon got into trouble for defaulting payment and went to jail. Only 40 percent of the money that was promised to Pune cricket ground was paid and cricket here faced a crisis unable to pay bank loans. Even to date if BCCI transfers money for hosting cricket matches, it goes directly for settling the loan instead of being used on development of the game.
Despite the financial crisis, cricket in Pune has thrived. Maharashtra reached the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy, the one-day equivalent of Ranji Trophy for the first time last year. The current Indian team has two Pune based players in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rahul Tripathi.
Pune is a three hour pleasant drive from Bombay. The Sri Lankan team travelled here yesterday by road. Bombay was a good experience for them with not many people giving them a chance. It is the middle order that has been a worry and while the middle order came good, the top order failed to fire in the first game.
The Sri Lankans would have had some time to dine in a few restaurants while in Bombay and if they had asked the locals one of the places that would have been recommended is The All-Rounder. It’s a restaurant inside the Cricket Club of India also known Brabourne Stadium.
A short walk from the Wankhede Stadium where the first T-20 was played, Cricket Club of India hosted the Sri Lankan Test match in 2019.
The All-Rounder offers some fine food options. There is also another Restaurant at the same premises called the Wet Wicket. That is where you would see reporters spending their time after a day’s play.
The All-Rounder has paintings of the five finest all-rounders to play the game; Sir Garry Sobers, Sir Richard Hadlee, Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Jacques Kallis. If you are curious about the surrounding you will notice that one portrait has been removed as the vacant area clearly shows. Make a guess whose painting it would be?
In 2019, in Kashmir, a convoy of vehicles carrying Indian policemen came under a suicide attack and 40 cops were killed. The attack was carried out by a Pakistan based terrorist group. The incident is known as Pulwama attack and the Prime Minister of Pakistan at that time was a certain Imran Khan.
So the missing picture is of the great man. Not everyone in Bombay or India condone the actions of the Cricket Club of India. Of course you should not mix sports and politics. But more than that, is it not India that taught us good virtues like tolerance?
Corbin Bosch has been served legal notice by the PCB, alleging breach of contractual obligations, after the South Africa allrounder signed for Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025, thus pulling out of PSL 2025.
This season is the first in which the PSL will be played concurrently with the IPL: The IPL will run from March 22 to May 25, and the PSL from April 11 to May 18. Bosch had been picked by Peshawar Zalmi, in the diamond category, at the PSL draft that was held in January. But on March 8, it was announced by Mumbai Indians that he would be replacing the injured Lizaad Williams in their squad.
The PSL franchises have been keen to take some sort of action on Bosch, as they are worried it could set a precedent for players signing up with the PSL but then switching to the IPL. The idea of an outright ban on such players has also been floated in informal discussions.
A PCB statement said: “The legal notice was served through his agent, and the player has been asked to justify his actions of withdrawing from his professional and contractual commitments. The PCB management has also outlined the repercussions of his departure from the league and expects his response within the stipulated time frame. The PCB will not make any further comments on the matter.”
The statement did not specify what the time frame was for Bosch to respond.
The PCB had shifted the PSL window with a view to improve the quality and availability of overseas players whom the league would be able to sign. When the PSL was in the February-March window, it also had to compete with the SA20, ILT20 and the BPL for players. ESPN Cricinfo had reported last year when the window was changed that holding the PSL draft after the IPL auction had also been discussed, to have greater clarity about the availability of overseas players for the league. Leading into this season, the IPL auction was held in November 2024 and the PSL draft in January 2025.
The PSL draft duly attracted a large number of high-profile players, including David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, Rassie van der Dussen and Kane Williamson.
[Cricinfo]
By A Special Sports Correspondent
Kandy Sports Club crowned themselves as ‘Cup Championship’ winners in the inter-club league rugby tournament when they overcame their final hurdle by beating Havelocks Sports Club by 50 points to 24 at Nittawela last evening.
Kandy SC was anyway assured of the title this season before this final game of the season even began, given that they were unbeaten thus far in the league tournament. Kandy SC collected their points through seven tries, six conversions and a penalty while Havelocks Sports Club responded with a three converted tries and a penalty.
Kandy SC set the pace for the game from the kick off itself and recorded first half tries through Dinal Ekanayake, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Kenula Hettiarachchi and Dahan Wickremaarachchi and all four conversions were slotted in by Tharinda Ratwatte. Havelocks SC got most of their points in the first half through Sandesh Jayawickreme who scored a try and booted through a conversion. The penalty for the Park Club was kicked right by Samuel Maduwantha.
Kandy SC faced some resistance from Havies after the turn around, but the side from Nittawela found the try line by breaking through a barrage of tackles from the men wearing the pink and chocolate jerseys.
Dahan Wickremaarachchi started the ball rolling for Kandy with a try after the turn around which took the side’s score to 38 with the conversion. Havies played in patches thereafter and scored through Jayathu Rajaratne and Janidu Fernando. Jayawickreme was spot on with the conversions.
Kandy’s Ethen Schneider Loos smashed his way through for the side’s sixth try which was converted by Ratwatte. Kandy had the game in the bag despite Havies playing attacking rugby whenever they had possession. But the score line deference that Kandy maintained throughout the game made it hard for Havies to make a real comeback into the game.
The Nittwala side erupted in jubilation when Ekanayake punted ahead and sent crowd favourite Nigel Ratwatte for the seventh and final try. There was speculation throughout the game that this would be Nigel’s final game for the Kandy SC side. Surprisingly Tharinda missed the conversion.
At the awards presentation ceremony after the game, Kandy Sports Club’s Tharinda Ratwatte was named as the highest points scorer for the 2024/25 league rugby season. He has accumulated 139 points this season.
Havelocks Sports produced the highest try scorer for the season. That award went to Jayathu Rajaratne of Havies. He has had 16 touchdowns this season. Havelocks Sports Club had to be satisfied with the runners-up trophy at the awards presentation. Players from both sides including the coaching staff were presented with medals by the organisers of the tournament.
Meanwhile CR&FC did well in their last outing in the Cup Championship segment of the league tournament when they beat Air Force by 31 points to 16 at Longden Place.
In the two Plate Segment matches, Sri Lanka Navy beat Sri Lions by 41 points to 38 at Race Course.In the other match of the Plate segment, Police SC beat Army SC by 24 points to 17. The match was played at Police Park.
Mutthusami Sivarajan and Rasara Wijesuriya won the men’s and women’s Cross Country Championships of the National Sports Festival conducted in Nuwara Eliya.
Sivarajan representing Central Province returned a time of 34 minutes and 21 seconds to finish ahead of Samantha Pushpakumara and Damith Hemantha Kumara.
In the women’s category, Wijesuriya from Eastern Province clocked 38 minutes and 41 seconds finish ahead of Madhushani Herath and Chamini Herath.
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