logo
Brian Lara Birthday: When West Indies Legend Went Unsold In 2011 IPL Auction

Brian Lara Birthday: When West Indies Legend Went Unsold In 2011 IPL Auction

News1802-05-2025

Happy Birthday Brian Lara: Among the finest cricketers to have graced the field, West Indies' legendary batter Brian Lara turns 56 on Friday, May 2. Fondly called the 'Prince of Trinidad', the great left-hander is remembered for his genius with the bat as he dominated teams across the world in Tests and One-Day Internationals. Lara held an enviable record in the two traditional forms of the game during his illustrious playing career between 1990 and 2007.
Often left to wage a lone war with opposition attacks for a declining West Indies side, Lara produced 11,953 runs in 131 Tests at an average of 52.88 with 34 centuries and 48 half-centuries to his name. Lara's tally in Tests had him as the format's leading run-getter until surpassed by Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar back in 2008.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan's technique, calls him 'special talent'
India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan's technique, calls him 'special talent'

Time of India

time26 minutes ago

  • Time of India

India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan's technique, calls him 'special talent'

Sai Sudarshan (ANI Photo) Former England cricketer Alec Stewart has praised young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan's potential for Test cricket, highlighting his quick learning ability and diverse shot selection as key attributes that could help him succeed in the longer format following Virat Kohli's retirement. Sudharsan, who has already represented India in ODIs and T20Is, is eyeing his Test debut during India's upcoming five-Test tour of England starting June 20, which marks the beginning of India's World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle under new captain Shubman Gill. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Sudharsan's first-class cricket record shows 1,957 runs in 29 games at an average of 39.93, including seven centuries and five fifties. His highest score stands at 213. His recent performance in the Indian Premier League strengthened his credentials, where he claimed the Orange Cap and Emerging Player of the Season award with 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Surrey's association with Sudharsan began in 2023 when he had played fewer than 10 first-class games and was yet to make his international debut. Before his Surrey debut against Northamptonshire, he played for the team's second XI at Guildford to familiarize himself with English conditions and the Dukes ball. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo "Sai came as an unknown, and his experience of the English game was very limited. Vikram Solanki was massive in recommending him to me, and I have so much respect for Vikram. From his first training session, you could see that he was a special talent, and he has not looked back. He loves to bat - whether in the nets or the middle - and just fitted into our set-up perfectly," Stewart said. Stewart specifically noted Sudharsan's technique in handling English conditions. "If you go too hard and get too far out in front of yourself, when the ball seams, you are not in control, then your bat can get outside of your eyeline, whereas he plays it under his eyeline, plays it under his eyes, and plays it late. And even if he does nick it a little bit, like Kane Williamson, for example - you can nick it, but it still falls short of slip and that again is a real attribute of Sai's. " Quiz: Who's that IPL player? Regarding Sudharsan's ability to play on English pitches, Stewart added: "The pitches are quicker here, certainly at The Oval, and to succeed, you have to be able to play off the back foot. You have got to be selective to pull, hook, cut or let go. He gets out of the line of the short ball well but can also play the uppercut over the slips. He has got a full array of shots, and he gets them in the right order." Sudharsan's dedication to improvement was evident when he took some Dukes balls back home after his county stint. Stewart commented on this, saying: "I did not charge him for them and just let him have them. But, no... he had that forward-thinking mindset and trained with those balls, so that when he comes back to us, or hopefully is picked for India on tour, he will have had nice practice against the Dukes cricket ball as well. Some of those will probably be worn out by now because I gave them to him last year, but he is a quick learner and he practises with a purpose. Yes, he likes volume, but he also likes to improve." Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA Stewart advised Sudharsan against trying to be the next Virat Kohli, suggesting instead that he focus on being the "best version of Sai Sudharsan." The five-Test series in England will run from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled across Leeds, Birmingham, London, and Manchester. India's Test squad for the England series includes Shubman Gill as captain, Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, and players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja , Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.

Virat Kohli to Shreyas Iyer: Top 5 Indian batters to score most runs in IPL 2025
Virat Kohli to Shreyas Iyer: Top 5 Indian batters to score most runs in IPL 2025

India.com

time28 minutes ago

  • India.com

Virat Kohli to Shreyas Iyer: Top 5 Indian batters to score most runs in IPL 2025

The dominance of batsmen was once again seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. There was a pile of runs in almost all the matches and many records were broken. Batsmen dominated more than bowlers. In the battle of ball and bat, we can say that the bat won, because according to the batting pitches and new rules, the batsmen scored a lot of runs with fours and sixes. Like the last season, Indian batsmen also spread their flair in the 18th IPL season. Along with many star batsmen, uncapped players also impressed everyone with their performance and staked their claim for the national team. Through this story, we are going to tell you about the top-5 highest run-scoring Indian batsmen. 4 Indians were among the top-5 highest run-scorers in IPL 2025, only Australian batsman Mitchell Marsh of Lucknow Super Giants was at the 5th position. Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudarshan became the highest run-scorer in IPL 2025. He scored the highest total of 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21 and a strike rate of 156.17. During this, he scored 6 half-centuries and 1 century. He was awarded the prestigious Orange Cap for scoring the most runs in the entire tournament. Mumbai Indians (MI)'s Suryakumar Yadav scored the second-most runs in the recently concluded IPL season in IPL 2025. Considered a T20 specialist, this dashing batsman finished his season with 717 runs in 16 matches. During this, he scored 5 half-centuries and played an important role in taking MI to the playoffs by winning consecutive matches after a poor start. In IPL 2025, right-handed star batsman Virat Kohli's 17-year-old unfulfilled dream came true. Because his team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won their maiden IPL title. Also, this season, Virat Kohli finished third in the list of highest run-scorers. Kohli scored a total of 657 runs in 15 matches at an impressive average of 54.75. Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill not only did brilliant captaincy, but also showed his skill with the bat. Gill played many big partnerships while opening with Sai Sudarshan and won many important matches for his team. Gill was the fourth highest run-scorer in IPL 2025. He scored a total of 650 runs in 15 matches with the help of 6 half-centuries. Right-handed star batsman Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the final after 14 years under his captaincy. He proved his captaincy throughout the season, although his team lost the final match to RCB by 6 runs. Iyer scored a total of 604 runs in 17 matches in the entire tournament. He became the sixth highest run-scorer in IPL 2025. However, he remained at number 5 in the list of top-5 Indian batsmen who scored the most runs.

Rinku Singh, Priya Saroj get engaged in grand ceremony
Rinku Singh, Priya Saroj get engaged in grand ceremony

Time of India

time29 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Rinku Singh, Priya Saroj get engaged in grand ceremony

Lucknow: Indian cricketer Rinku Singh and Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Priya Saroj got engaged in a grand ceremony at a hotel in Lucknow on Sunday. The high-profile couple, set to tie the knot on Nov 18, 2025, in Varanasi, celebrated their engagement in the presence of prominent personalities from both politics and cricket—marking a vibrant union of their respective fields. Rinku, known for his explosive performances for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Team India, arrived at the venue with his fiancée in coordinated white and pink outfits. In one of the most touching moments of the evening, Priya was seen holding back tears as Rinku gently slipped the engagement ring onto her finger on a beautifully illuminated stage. Overcome with emotion, she briefly broke down before regaining composure to smile for the cameras—adding an emotional depth to an already glamorous evening. The ring ceremony was followed by a lavish vegetarian dinner featuring a mix of Awadhi delicacies and international cuisines. To ensure security and privacy, the event featured barcoded entry passes and police deployment. Fifteen rooms were reportedly booked for guests at the hotel, including five reserved for Rinku's close friends. The engagement drew a star-studded guest list. SP president Akhilesh Yadav attended the ceremony along with his wife and MP Dimple Yadav, veteran leaders Jaya Bachchan, Shivpal Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, and Awadhesh Prasad. From the cricketing world, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and former India pacer Praveen Kumar were also in attendance to bless the couple. However, many of Rinku's teammates could not attend, being on national duty for the upcoming series against England beginning June 20. Speaking to reporters after the event, Akhilesh Yadav said, "We all wished Priya Saroj and Rinku Singh a bright future. Priya is an MP from our party and Rinku is a cricketer. But today, they have become each other's." Rajeev Shukla said, "They make a wonderful couple. Both are successful in their respective fields. This marriage will surely be a successful one." Priya's uncle, Bhagwati Prasad Singh, expressed pride in the moment, saying, "It's a day of great joy for both families. The wedding is taking place with mutual consent and happiness." Her father, SP MLA Tufani Saroj, also shared his happiness about the union. Rinku, 27, hails from Aligarh and played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2024 title win. He has represented India in 2 ODIs and 33 T20Is, amassing 507 T20I runs at a strike rate of 165.14. Priya, 26, is a first-time MP from Machhlishahr in Jaunpur, elected in 2024 after defeating BJP's BP Saroj by over 35,000 votes. A lawyer from Karkhiyaon village in Kashi, she is one of the youngest MPs and is continuing the political legacy of her father, a three-time MP and sitting Kerakat MLA. Before entering politics, Priya was a law practitioner. An alumna of Amity University, Noida, she practiced at the Supreme Court of India.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store