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Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
How data analytics has transformed cricket
I've never been much of a sports viewer, but headlines have always been my hook. So, while the records Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan set in the 1990s and 2000s meant little to me, I was absorbed by the news reports of the three rounds of biomechanical testing he underwent to prove that his 'doosra' wasn't bending the rules. I still have no idea how many wickets he took, but I do remember that the machine took 250 photos per second and provided a 3D rendering of his bowling action. It seemed so cutting-edge, so unprecedented, so automated a way to measure what I'd always thought was a matter of personal skill and achievement. It was among the early demonstrations of data analysis in sports, and I, for one, had never seen anything like it. Now of course, we all have all sorts of trackers strapped to our wrists to tell us how much energy we've expended walking to the fridge for a snack. Naturally, then, for professional athletes, data gathering is at a whole other level with tracking software and machine learning transforming the game. Data analysts are now integral to sports teams, generating statistical breakdowns to explain ball speeds, angles of delivery and each player's strengths and weaknesses. Coaches don't just impart wisdom and technique, they optimise play based on these analyses. We take a deep dive into the world of cricket analytics, which has not only changed the way athletes perform but also how teams are picked, and the ways fans watch the sport. We don't just support a home team or fall in love with a player's form and grace anymore; we pick and choose depending on projections that give the likelihood of success. Even in fantasy leagues, it's data that's the MVP. The print issue of Mint Lounge dated 31 May 2025, which takes a deep dive into the world of cricket analytics. Look around you—a small doll with a mischievous smile might be strapped to a bag. They're called labubus and are trending world over. Even mobile phones are getting more personality thanks to anime-inspired charm bracelets and covers. Fashion is tapping into 'toycore"—the marriage of fashion and cuddlies. Pooja Singh unpacks the somewhat bizarre toycore trend that is a throwback to a lost childhood. The Assassin's Creed franchise is among the world's most popular games, giving players the experience of an open world, close links to actual historical events, and a narration that connects the protagonists of each game. Now, Assassin's Creed Shadows takes all these elements to give fans a setting that many had demanded—medieval Japan. Shouvik Das dives into the immersive world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, where players navigate a beautifully crafted medieval Japan and lose themselves in the intricate storyline. The drying of mahua flowers and the liquor-making process that follows is an age-old practice in Madhya Pradesh, but there's more to this indigenous flower than spirits. The juice can be turned into flavourful syrups and pulps that make great replacements for maple syrup, white sugar and other imported or processed sweeteners. Pastry chef Bani Nanda travelled in Madhya Pradesh to learn all about 'mahua', and she writes about the process of creating liquor and syrup and the ideas it sparked for new pastries and cakes. Back in Delhi, she experimented with the dried mahua flowers, mahua liquor and mahua syrup she brought back to create a beautiful entremet with mahua syrup sponge, chironji praline, salted caramel and mahua ganache. Microsoft laid off about 6,000 employees earlier this month; the US government has fired more than 600,000 staff this year. Most forecasts indicate lay-offs will continue, with greater incursion of AI into spheres that were dependent on human skills. This has an outsized impact on the morale of professionals, who left high and dry, or teetering on the edge, vulnerable to being fired any day. Being laid off is, needless to say, tragic, but it's also hard for those who have to do the dirty job of firing people. The middle managers and human resources executives who have to be the bearers of bad news become collateral damage in the process, writes Somak Ghoshal, while offering some suggestions about delivering bad news with grace and empathy. Fans of Lego, the popular building sets, travel the world in search of new sets and unusual pieces—but the Danish toy company has finally opened a store in India, in Gurugram. Spanning 4,500 square feet, it is the brand's largest store in South Asia and has everything from the Friends and Icons to the Technic and the Botanicals collections as well as fully built sets on display and play tables, and other popular features for adult fans of Lego. The store seems all set to become a place for fans of the popular building sets to congregate, build, and create a community, writes Tushar Kanwar, a lifelong Lego fan who has got his young daughter hooked to the toys.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
In 3 decades, Guj improves its lake, reservoir areas by 577 sq km: Study
1 2 Ahmedabad: A recent study by IIT Roorkee indicated that Gujarat recorded a rise in lentic water bodies (LWB) by 577 sq km from 1990 to the 2020s. Water bodies with still water, such as ponds, lakes, and reservoirs, are identified as LWB, reports Parth Shastri. Based on satellite data analysis along with other parameters, researchers indicated Gujarat had 308 sq km area of LWB in 1990, which increased to 885 sq km, marking a rise of 187%. The study, 'Exploring the Intersection of Socioeconomic and Environmental Changes and Their Impact on India's Lentic Water Systems,' by Pooja Singh, Tanya Nema, Basant Yadav, Abhay Raj, and Ilhan Özgen from IIT-R and Germany-based Technical University of Braunschweig, is in preprint of Elsevier journal Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. The study considered four major states in four regions of India – Punjab in the north, Gujarat in the west, Kerala in the south, and West Bengal in the east. According to the study, Gujarat recorded the highest rise in LWBs among the four states. The study collected three decades of data for parameters such as social, economic, and meteorological data and their impact on LWBs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No dark spots, 10 years younger! Just take this from Watsons URUHIME MOMOKO Learn More Undo According to the study, LWBs in Punjab fluctuated from 21.2 sq km to 30.9 sq km over three decades, whereas in West Bengal, the range was 557.3 sq km to 459.8 sq km. The LWB area in Kerala grew from 44.5 sq km to 72.3 sq km over three decades, the second highest among the four states after Gujarat. More importantly, the study highlighted that the LWB trend can be attributed to the overall positive trend of total water - growing from 27,225.3 sq km to 36,231 sq km in three decades. 'Overall, the total water area exhibited differing trends throughout states, with Gujarat showing the most substantial positive growth and Punjab showing the highest drop, despite an ongoing rise in the number of LWB,' indicated the study. " Narmada water scheme in various regions earlier not part of the scheme is considered to be the biggest factor for the phenomenon where the waters are now reaching up to the Kutch region," said an Ahmedabad-based water resources expert. "Along with that, the sustained campaigns, especially in the Saurashtra region, have yielded results in the form of a rise in check dams and smaller reservoirs." Researchers also pointed to the state's rise in the share of water in the total surface area at about 3.7 percentage points in three decades. Three other states recorded a not-so-significant rise. 'Gujarat had a 3.7% rise in water area, a 0.93% gain in built-up area, and a 2.75% drop in barren land area, while agricultural land went up by 0.18%. LULC changes were constant across the study states, with built-up regions expanding, barren lands contracting, and agricultural and dense vegetation areas showing mixed patterns,' added researchers. It is notable that in 2024 the state govt mentioned in a report on water sources that the available water in Gujarat is 55,608 million cubic meters (MCM), out of which 38,100 MCM (68.5%) is surface water, and the rest is groundwater. Interestingly, 80% of the surface water is located in the south and central Gujarat regions.
