My Series of Blogs for Cricketlok: Momocricket Weekly (01-06 Episodes)

21 August 2013. Nepal vs Pakistan U23. Subash Khakurel 78 (127).

Arguably, the best innings ever played by a Nepal batsman. Though Pakistan won by 9 wickets, Nepalese fans will always remember the match for Subash’s lonesome act of defiance against the hostile bowling attack of naturally gifted Pakistan bowlers. Bowler’s like Ehsan Adil, Bilwaal Bhatti, Raza Hasan, Hammad Azam & Usman Qadir.

Click Here to Read: Subash Khakurel: Best Innings Played by a Nepali Batsman

Amid all the criticism regarding his consistent failures for Nepal, he earned his chances to get all the backing he is getting from the management from all the success he achieved in earlier part of his career. I can hardly remember any major tournament, Nepal featured in, without a Subash Khakurel score of 50+. The only time he failed was ICC World Cup Qualifiers in New Zealand when injuries kept him aside and we know how miserably Nepal failed too. From SPA Cups in Dhangadhi to World T20 in Bangladesh, Subash has been our milestone man.

Still only 22 years old, Subash Khakurel is a good player of fast bowling. His ability to play in bouncy pitches has helped him gather runs in various parts of the world until recently when his failures in Namibia started a never ending loop hole.

How the bad form will end? How much do we need to wait? Something that team/management can know better than us. Maybe, he needs some break from International Cricket. Maybe, playing match after a match is the only way. But in either case, Nepal needs someone like Subash Khakurel to come good. The only reason, he is getting all the back up he needs. Maybe way too much. But for countries like us we don’t have much options too. Thing is, if we replace/drop Subash, we need to bring in two players, an opening batsman & a wicket-keeper. Nepal can’t afford to do that at will.

It was Bangladesh last time. It is India this time if we manage to qualify, in all honesty we can.

We witnessed welcome sights of Bangladesh fans along with Nepal fans singing, dancing on TV screens, sharing good luck messages on social media and singing heaps of praises on newspapers & tabloids. In India any different? If you consider the latest buzz between the teams after the Bangladesh versus India series which the host defeated & dominated the visitors convincingly, you might argue if the Indians have better fan base. But, hey, we will be trespassing on Big 3 this time.

We can always hope our matches to be scheduled at historic Eden Gardens (Kolkata), or Sachin’s home ground Wankhede (Mumbai), least at Rahul Dravid & Anil Kumble’s Bengaluru. All in all, if you are willing to travel for Nepal matches, an opportunity for us to experience the cricket culture India possess. Observe how crazy India is with cricket, given, we are no less back home. India is nation producing undisputed legends of the game.

A bridge will be created between the fans of two passionate nations, Nepal will get closer to BCCI like never. With the help & support BCCI has been providing us in recent times, Nepal putting up a show in India, similar or better to what we did in Bangladesh, can let the flood gates open. Every chance, Nepal’s fame can sky-rocket to next level.

In my personal opinion, three nations, England, Australia & India have richest cricketing history and culture of cricket than other test playing nations. We will be visiting one, if we can qualify this time. Yes, we can.

Two times triple centurion in Test Cricket. Double centurion in ODI Cricket. The Bradman/Tendulkar of T20 cricket.

There were little doubts on his abilities for West Indies when he was only a traditional left- hand opener for them opening in both longer formats of the game. Then T20 happened. Nobody thrived as much as Gayle did in the youngest & shortest format of the game. Ever since his first century against South Africa in World T20, 2007, he never looked back and went on to own the format all around the world.

West Indies, Barisal Burners & Dhaka Gladiators in Bangladesh Premier League, ICC World XI, his home team Jamaica, his home franchise Jamaica Tallawahs in Carribean Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders in Indian Premier League, Matabeleland Tuskers in Zimbabwe, Royal Challengers Bangalore, England’s Somerset & Worcestershire, Stanford Superstars, Australia’s Sydney Thunder & Western Australia, there are no team left in this world which doesn’t want to have services of Gayle.

Century in World T20, IPL, BBL, CPL, T20 Blast, name it. Christopher Henry Gayle has scored most centuries in history of this game standing on 16 at present. Latest being, 105 off just 57 deliveries to set up Jamaica Tallawah’s 50-run victory against Trinidad & Tobago at Sabina Park in CPL.

Chris Gayle in his last 10 T20s has amassed 717 at average of 143.40, including one 150, one century and five 50s around 3 countries. The Gaylestorm is a destruction for the bowlers around and is on a full flow this year.

Every possibility, by the end of his career, he will be synonym to T20 cricket, just like Bradman to Test Cricket & Sachin Tendulkar to ODI cricket.

Nepal cricket team is on a low. Beaten. Struggling to put things back to normal. Nepal qualifying for India will be no less than a Cinderella story given the worst we have been through ever since Earthquakes jolted our progression back home, as a nation and a cricketing country.

But we will rise. Just like  James J. Braddock a.k.a. the Cinderella Man (Russell Crowe). One of the most surprising sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck.

His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him, his family, was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However Braddock, fueled by something beyond mere competition, kept winning.

One of Crowe’s finest & most featured in the list of all time best sports movies, Cinderella Man is an emotional roller-coaster ride from despair to triumph. Just a tonic we all need before going into World T20 Qualifiers. A story of glory against all odds.