Ajit Agarkar had the most enigmatic cricket career. Some of the highs and lows he achieved in his nine-year-old international career are fantastic. Capturing a few in this thread. 🧵

In 1998, he was the fastest to 50 ODI wickets - IN THE WORLD! He is still the third-fastest. In 1999, Agarkar became the second batter to record five consecutive ducks in Test cricket - the most by a batter. His streak against Australia extended to seven when he was out twice for a duck in the 2001 Wankhede Test.

https://x.com/CricketopiaCom/status/1836692437424603195/video/1

India have not lost a Test series at home in the last 12 years.
Simply put, there has never been a home team so dominant in cricket’s history. The last time they lost at home? 2012.

Let’s revisit how England pulled off what has increasingly become impossible. England had hammered India 4-0 at home in 2011, but their form in Asia wasn’t promising. They were whitewashed 0-3 by Pakistan in the UAE, drew 1-1 in Sri Lanka, and lost 0-2 to South Africa at home. Strauss retired, and Alastair Cook was the new captain. England warmed up with two first-class matches against India A and Haryana, and a three-day game against Mumbai A, holding their own.

Over the years, Sunil Gavaskar has often been praised or criticized for his comments. Detractors have pointed to incidents like his walk-off at MCG, his 36* in the 1975 World Cup, and more. On his 75th birthday, let's take a look at the Little Master's classic feats, establishing him as one of India's greatest cricketing legends. 💎 Gavaskar had to wait a lot to taste success in the Ranji Trophy. In the 1967-68 Irani Trophy, he played for Bombay but scored only 5 and 0. His first Ranji Trophy game came three years later, where he was bowled for a duck in the semi-final. However, the selectors showed faith, and Gavaskar responded with 114 in the final against Rajasthan.

It's been 25 years since the most famous dropped catch of all time. Yes, you probably know it already.

It is Herschelle Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh in their last Super Six encounter. But there's way more to the story than just that. Let's recap.

The 1999 World Cup was not a spotless campaign for Australia. They had lost to New Zealand and Pakistan in the group stage. They cruised in the Super Six stage and their last encounter was against SA in Leeds.

On May 7, 1991, the greatest Ranji Trophy final reached its climax. Kapil Dev's Haryana defeated Bombay at Wankhede Stadium by just two runs, marking Haryana's first title and a stunning end to a nail-biting contest. Let's revisit this epic from Indian domestic cricket. The 1990-91 season was full of twists and turns. Haryana finished behind Delhi in the North Zone but secured a spot in the final by gaining the first-innings lead (FIL) against Uttar Pradesh and Bengal. Bombay dominated Madhya Pradesh, took the FIL against Delhi by a single run, and then Manjrekar's 377 crushed Hyderabad in the semi-final. The final began on May 3 at Wankhede Stadium.

India bowed out of the 1996 World Cup after a disastrous semi-final. Yet, it was a commercial success for the board. The franchise rights holder of ESPN in India wanted the board to capitalize on this success. His idea was a 50-overs-a-side inter-city league under floodlights. His name - Lalit Kumar Modi.

#IPL #IPL2024 #CricketTwitter The state associations were interested in the proposal with the prospect of collecting massive gate money and in-stadia sponsorships. However, the BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya was not in favour of this. He shot the idea down by impressing upon the other members.

It's been 25 years since the epic showdown between Brian Lara and Australia in the West Indies. The 1999 Test series between these two nations was nothing short of cinematic, packed with twists and turns.

West Indies, grappling with the harsh reality of their lost glory, had endured a brutal 0-5 defeat at the hands of South Africa. Captain Brian Lara had ignited a player revolt prior to the tour, thus painting a target on his back for the WICB. The selectors put him on notice by appointing him as the leader for the first two Tests only. Australia, emerging as the leaders of world cricket, were eager to assert their dominance on the throne of Test cricket. Having won the 1995 series 2-1 to dethrone the Caribbean kings, Steve Waugh and his men were intent on repeating their heroics and further solidifying their status as the No.1 Test team.

The iconic Wankhede Stadium is in its 50th year. The MCA is celebrating this event in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy final.

The origin story of this stadium is an intriguing tale, which explains why it was built just beside the Brabourne Stadium.

Many (including me) have already told this story but Ratnakar Shetty has narrated it very well in his book. Trying to put together a detailed version here. The story begins with the Brabourne Stadium which is owned by the Cricket Club of India (CCI). It enjoyed a special status in Indian cricket. Not only was it a founding member of the BCCI, but it also housed offices for both the BCCI and MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association - then BCA, Bombay).!

Yes, the BCCI could not afford an office space of its own. The CCI opened up a couple rooms a couple of rooms on the first floor of the North Stand for the BCCI while the MCA operated from the ground floor.

cc - @NorthStandGang

When Mumbai were set to play their 500th Ranji Trophy game, the association held a grandiose function at the BKC ground. Many Mumbai stalwarts were in attendance.

When Sachin Tendulkar was asked about his most memorable Ranji Trophy match, he had no hesitation in recalling the 1999-00 Semi-final against Tamil Nadu.

Let's recall that epic encounter. #MUMvTN #RanjiTrophy #SachinTendulkar @sachin_rt Although Sachin Tendulkar featured in only 38 Ranji Trophy games for Mumbai, he had an incredible commitment to the Lion crest. When possible, he always made himself available for his home team.

In fact, he made a special request to postpone this Mumbai vs. Tamil Nadu semi-final encounter so that he could play in it. The request was accepted, and the stage was set for a mega-clash at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai and Tamil Nadu will face off in the semi-final of the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Let's revisit one of the most brutal encounters between these two giants from the 1972-73 Ranji Trophy.

It was the final of that season.

#RanjiTrophy #MUMvTN Mumbai was entering this season on the back of their 14th consecutive triumph. They finished second in the West Zone behind Maharashtra but still found their way to the final by defeating MP and Hyderabad.

Tamil Nadu topped the charts, played an intriguing low-scoring game against Railways, and beat Maharashtra to set a date against Mumbai in the final.

Chepauk was the venue for this epic clash.

He captured the imagination of the cricketing fraternity at the age of 12. In 2009, at Cross Maidan, Sarfaraz Khan shattered the record for the highest score in the Harris Shield inter-school tournament, scoring 439 for Rizvi Springfield. A star had emerged!

#SarfarazKhan #INDvENG However, a glitch arose. Despite his young age, he appeared older, leading the Mumbai Cricket Association to suspend him on charges of age manipulation. Only after the results of an advanced age test, they reinstated him.

Trials persisted. The MCA's indoor academy expelled him from a camp on "disciplinary grounds." It was such a challenging phase that Sarfaraz contemplated giving up cricket altogether, a sentiment confirmed by his father, Naushad Khan.

Completed an online course today which included Mumbai's British history. Came across a very interesting nugget that could have changed Indian cricket history as we know it. In 1862, the Bombay fort was taken down by the British in order to expand the city. In doing so, the local government was also hoping to use the esplanade area for residential buildings.