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The Hindu
31-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Could Amanjot be the missing piece in India's white-ball puzzle?
When the lights are at their brightest, the Indian women's cricket team has always danced on the edge of glory. Sometimes it managed to withstand intense pressure without a scratch, and at other times it found itself in quicksand. At Lord's in 2017, it was a partnership away from the trophy. Similar stories made headlines in 2014, 2016, 2020, and, more recently, in 2024 as well. While setbacks are the testament of sporting events, they also offer a mirror for self-reflection and introspection. Countless deep dives into India's losses often pointed to a deficiency in depth. Too often, the burden of taking the team home rested on the shoulders of just a few. The Indian team of the present operates in the age of all-rounders. Look at Australia's stacked multi-skilled player piles. From Ellyse Perry to Annabel Sutherland, these women not only contribute across departments but also have the nerve to tilt games favourably. Nagging issue For India, this has been a nagging issue. The setup has, for a long time, struggled to flood the team with players who can strike with the ball and score valuable runs, and, most importantly, do so consistently. Among the several other positives in India's recent white-ball series win against England was the emergence of one such all-rounder who could hold the key to the balance issues the India XI faces — Amanjot Kaur. Born in Chandigarh, the country's powerhouse for hockey players, the 25-year-old chose to ditch tradition to pursue her calling. Her cricketing journey began early, when she played the game in the streets with older boys from the neighbourhood. Her father, a carpenter by profession, was hesitant to let her play cricket. It was Amanjot's grandmother who took her to practice every day. 'My grandmother was very supportive. She used to accompany me to the ground and wait by the bench,' she said in an interview with Anjum Chopra. Not long after seeing Amanjot's immense interest in the sport, her father came around and drove her to the academy every day, sometimes even waiting on the sidelines while she practised in the chilling winters of Chandigarh. She trained under Nagesh Gupta at the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh, from the age of 15. That proved pivotal for Amanjot as it was Nagesh who promoted her development as a batter. She shuttled between Chandigarh and Punjab in her teenage years, eventually making her debut for the latter in the 2017-2018 season. Following that, she shifted to the former for the 2019-2020 campaign before making her way back to Punjab for the 2022-2023 season to challenge herself in a squad that featured India internationals like Harmanpreet Kaur and Taniya Bhatia. Amanjot proved that she was very much up to the task, emerging as Punjab's top run-getter in the senior women's T20 tournament, with 192 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 105.49. The opportunity to make a case for herself as a conventional batter came against Himachal, when she opened the innings for Punjab and made her mark. 'Being an all-rounder is bliss for me. If batting doesn't go well, then while I'm bowling, I have six balls to prove. Even if two balls go for six, there are still four more balls,' she said. She earned her national call-up in 2023, making her debut in the first match of the tri-series against South Africa in East London. She seized the day with her batting prowess, leaving an immediate mark by scoring an unbeaten 41 (30 balls) while batting at no. 7. It was a time when players worldwide were giving their final auditions to make the national squads for the T20 World Cup in South Africa. Amanjot was practical and focused on each day as it came. She scored an unbeaten 41 in 30 balls, the second-highest score in women's cricket for India on T20I debut. Amanjot helped India get a fairly decent 147 for the loss of six wickets on the board, heartening given India lost three early wickets. Since then, Amanjot has featured in nine T20Is and 16 WODIs, happy to float around the batting order and eager to prove that she is also a bowler who can make an impact in any phase of the game. That she was handy in the field – another Achilles heel for India – only added to her utility. In the recently concluded T20I series against England, she smashed 63 n.o. off 40 balls while batting at no. 5, including five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 157. While it was just one match where she displayed her batting aggression, her style is headlined by precise calculation and phlegmatic temperament. In the second T20I at Bristol, Amanjot, contrary to the previous games where she toggled between no. 6 and no. 7, came in at no. 5 when India was reeling at 35 for three. She took the attack to the English bowlers, smashing three fours off Sophie Ecclestone. Amanjot stitched crucial partnerships with Richa Ghosh and saw India through to 181 for four. Amanjot's value lies in her adaptability. She can be cautious and steady or aggressive, as required. Her fluency with the bat allows India the luxury of solidity in a shaky middle order. The genuine all-rounder justifies her title further with her right-arm medium pace bowling during the middle overs to stifle the scores and break partnerships. But Amanjot in the England series has a commendable batting record that stood better than her bowling figures, barring her ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2023, when she added four wickets for 31 runs in her spell. In Pooja Vastrakar's absence, Amanjot has emerged as someone who could fill in with bat and ball. Similarities While she is still in the early years of her career and Perry, on the contrary, is an established player, there are similarities between the two that make Amanjot the answer to India's quest for someone like the Australian, who can add the necessary depth and provide a strong middle order in the line-up. But the echoes of one of the greatest all-rounders in recent ages come alive a little every time Amanjot dons the role of both a batter and a bowler, and does so with grace. While Amanjot might not yet have numbers to make the headlines at the moment, every once in a while, when a new player emerges, the skill of the mind and the body ought to be identified, trained and appreciated at the dawn of their career. And the comparisons to Perry? It might seem lofty now. But if Amanjot keeps her pace, maybe, just maybe, there will come a day when we will ask, 'Could she be the next Perry?'
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Making five successful Guinness World Records is a special feeling: Janvi Jindal
Back in 2016, eight-year-old Janvi Jindal requested that her parents, Munish Jindal and Divya Jindal, get her a pair of roller skates, which displayed her interest in adventure activities like river rafting and rock climbing. Janvi's father taught her the basics of roller freestyle skating and inline skating after learning from YouTube and other media. In later years, she practised skating at Sector 22 market and the Rose Garden Underpass. Earlier this week, when the 17-year-old Chandigarh skater received the successful confirmation of her five Guinness World Records attempted last year at Rose Garden Underpass, she headed to the Rose Garden Underpass to celebrate with her proud parents watching. 'When I told my father to get me skates as an eight-year-old, it was only my love for adventure activities. He would learn the basics of roller freestyle skating and inline freestyle skating from YouTube and make me practice at the Sector 22 market. Initially, I would fall 40-50 times in a day, but I kept practising. Achieving five Guinness World Records is a truly special feeling for all of us. I dedicate these records to my parents,' Janvi, a student of Government Model Senior Secondary School at Sector 16, told The Indian Express. The youngster attempted for the world record for most 360-degree rotations on inline skates in 30 seconds (27 spins), fastest slalom (20 cones) on inline skates on two wheels (8.85 seconds), most one-wheeled 360-degree spins in 30 seconds (42 spins), most one-wheeled 360-degree spins in one minute (72 spins) and most consecutive one-wheeled 360-degree spins and completed the first record on July 28, 2024, and other four records on September 15 last year. In 2019, she first won a medal at the national level in the 57th National Roller-Skating Championship at Visakhapatnam in 2019. Janvi won the gold in the Roller Freestyle event in the 2019 nationals and would follow that with a gold in Roller Freestyle and a bronze in Inline Freestyle at the 58th National Roller-Skating Championship in Chandigarh the following year. Janvi would then win a bronze each in Inline Freestyle in the nationals in Mohali in 2021 and Bengaluru in 2022, respectively. Last year, too, Janvi won the bronze in the Inline Freestyle event in nationals in Bengaluru. 'When I started skating, my interest was in roller freestyle as well as inline freestyle, as I did not show much interest in roller hockey and speed skating. I wanted to do more creative things in skating, which roller freestyle and inline freestyle offer. Yes, it needs practice as well as spending time on other things like yoga and gym but then showing my creativity over skates gives me a lot of satisfaction,' says Janvi, who has also been honoured by the Yoga Association of India. With inline freestyle skating being part of the Asian Games, the Chandigarh youngster does want to represent India at the international level one day and win medals for the country. 'Competing in other international competitions requires a lot of financial support, and I am keen to improve as an inline freestyle skater. I saw inline freestyle skaters competing in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games on TV, and I want to compete for India in the Asian Games one day,' she says. Nitin Sharma is an Assistant Editor with the sports team of The Indian Express. Based out of Chandigarh, Nitin works with the print sports desk while also breaking news stories for the online sports team. A Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award recipient for the year 2017 for his story 'Harmans of Moga', Nitin has also been a two-time recipient of the UNFPA-supported Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity for the years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Nitin mainly covers Olympics sports disciplines with his main interests in shooting, boxing, wrestling, athletics and much more. The last 17 years with The Indian Express has seen him unearthing stories across India from as far as Andaman and Nicobar to the North East. Nitin also covers cricket apart from women's cricket with a keen interest. Nitin has covered events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships. An alumnus of School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, from where he completed his Masters in Mass Communications degree, Nitin has been an avid quizzer too. A Guru Nanak Dev University Colour holder, Nitin's interest in quizzing began in the town of Talwara Township, a small town near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. When not reporting, Nitin's interests lie in discovering new treks in the mountains or spending time near the river Beas at his hometown. ... Read More
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Trained by a Punjab cop in a Chandigarh park, Mandi's son Abhinash Jamwal punches his way to world silver
1 2 3 4 5 6 Chandigarh: Joginder Singh was a happy man on Monday. A Punjab Police assistant sub-inspector who trains budding pugilists for free at Chandigarh's Sector 2 Bougainvillea Garden, Joginder felt his dreams come true when Abhinash Jamwal (22) won the silver medal in the men's 65kg category at the World Boxing Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan. Abhinash's victory comes as a soothing balm for Himachal Pradesh's flood-ravaged Mandi — his home district. Abhinash's uncle, Rajesh Bhaduria, brought him to Chandigarh from his village, Barot in Mandi, at the age of 14 because the atmosphere at home was not conducive to his growth. "Once in Chandigarh, he took me to Joginder sir for training," says Abhinash, who studied at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 28, Chandigarh. It was under Joginder Singh's watchful eyes that Abhinash learnt the basics of boxing and found his way into the system. Abhinash was a little under five feet tall when he started training under Joginder. "He is six feet now, just like Vijender Singh. He has worked really hard, and his success is a reflection of that," adds Joginder. "I personally feel like I have achieved something today." After training under Joginder and winning a silver medal at the National Junior Boxing Championship in 2018, Abhinash enrolled at the Sports Training Centre (STC) hostel in Mastuana Sahib, Punjab, which is part of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) regional centre in Chandigarh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 아픈 사람의 99%는 목이 뭉쳐있습니다. 더 알아보기 Undo 아픈 사람의 99%는 목이 뭉쳐있습니다. 더 알아보기 Undo 아픈 사람의 99%는 목이 뭉쳐있습니다. 더 알아보기 Undo 아픈 사람의 99%는 목이 뭉쳐있습니다. 더 알아보기 Undo There has been no looking back for Abhinash since then. He does not plan to rest on his laurels and is preparing for the World Boxing Championship this September. "I will be back to training at NIS, Patiala, once I return," he says. Abhinash, who finds inspiration from Indian boxers Shiva Thapa and Nishant Dev, says an Olympic gold is the ultimate goal. "I will be working twice as hard for the Asian Games, from where I hope to book a berth for the Olympics," he adds. For Joginder Singh, Abhinash was the true winner in the final bout at Astana. "But maybe that's because I'll always have a bias for my students," he says. "One thing is certain: he will reach the Olympics and do the impossible one day. He has come far from Barot, hasn't he?" adds Joginder. Abhinash, meanwhile, had a message for "his people" in Mandi. "I feel sad about what is happening there. I just want people back home to stay strong, as everything will be fine. God always has a plan," he says. God had a plan for Abhinash too.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Lost parents when he was toddler, Gully cricket's best batsman drives auto to support his dreams
Mohammad Shahbaz lost his parents when he was barely two years old. On Friday, after collecting the best batsman's trophy in the boys' category in the third edition of the UTCA Chandigarh Police Gully Cricket Tournament, Shahbaz (18) of Team 187, while celebrating with his teammates, remembered his parents Mohammad Lateef and Zehrunnissa. The trophy was given by Chandigarh Administrator and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria at Punjab Raj Bhavan on Friday. A student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, and fan of Virat Kohli, Shahbaz, currently drives a rented auto in Bapu Dham apart from managing his studies, to support his dreams. 'I was two years old when I lost both my parents to illness. I was raised by my maternal grandmother Jainab at our native village in Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh and had come to Chandigarh eight years ago to stay with my maternal uncle. Later in 2019, I shifted staying alone and training in cricket under various coaches. Early this year, I started driving an auto to support myself. I dedicate this trophy to my parents,' said Shahbaz while speaking with The Indian Express. The youngster had been training under UT coach Harish Sharma in 2022 at the Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 32. He competed in the first edition of the UTCA Chandigarh Police Gully Cricket Tournament in 2023 and was part of the runner-up Team 53 scoring more than 200 runs in the tournament. This year, Shahbaz scored 254 runs and took 11 wickets in the tournament. While he will be trained by UTCA for further training, the youngster will also be returning to drive his auto post his school and training to support himself. 'I have been training under Harish sir and also play local tennis ball matches. Most of my free time is spent driving the auto to support my training and other expenses. To be selected by UTCA for further training will motivate me to improve further,' the 18-year-old said. The cricketer had also saved money to watch his idol Virat Kohli play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings in an IPL match at Mullanpur last month. 'I save money to watch Virat play. Hopefully the team will win the play-offs matches here and I will try to get a ticket for the matches at Mullanpur. I hope Virat sir wins the IPL trophy this time in the final at Ahmedabad,' Shahbaz concluded. Nitin Sharma is an Assistant Editor with the sports team of The Indian Express. Based out of Chandigarh, Nitin works with the print sports desk while also breaking news stories for the online sports team. A Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award recipient for the year 2017 for his story 'Harmans of Moga', Nitin has also been a two-time recipient of the UNFPA-supported Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity for the years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Nitin mainly covers Olympics sports disciplines with his main interests in shooting, boxing, wrestling, athletics and much more. The last 17 years with The Indian Express has seen him unearthing stories across India from as far as Andaman and Nicobar to the North East. Nitin also covers cricket apart from women's cricket with a keen interest. Nitin has covered events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships. An alumnus of School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, from where he completed his Masters in Mass Communications degree, Nitin has been an avid quizzer too. A Guru Nanak Dev University Colour holder, Nitin's interest in quizzing began in the town of Talwara Township, a small town near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. When not reporting, Nitin's interests lie in discovering new treks in the mountains or spending time near the river Beas at his hometown. ... Read More
