Articles by Sanjjeev K Samyal
India simply Aus-struck!
'Get Shane Watson and David Warner, get Australia; get Virat Kohli, get India,' declared a former Sri Lankan player as he arrived for the World Twenty20 games at the R Premadasa Stadium on Friday. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Click here for live scorecard

Updated on Sep 29, 2012 01:22 PM IST
Hindustantimes.com | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
India may give it a tweak, pick spin over big-hitting
Captain MS Dhoni's decision to play five bowlers has its merits but whether India's best chance of winning the tournament lies without Sehwag is debatable.

Updated on Sep 28, 2012 02:20 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Five years on, captain Dhoni braces for fresh tests
Few captains would survive after losing all four Tests of a series twice in a season. MS Dhoni has been lucky that the K Srikkanth-led selection committee didn't perceive things from a normal perspective. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Oct 10, 2012 03:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
This is Eight, rise 'n' shine
It's been almost 10 days but the tournament proper begins today. The wheat has been separated from the chaff and the stage is set for the Super Eights in the World Twenty20. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 27, 2012 01:49 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Elle, elle, on the fields of play
Cricket may be the most popular and lucrative game in Sri Lanka, but it is volleyball which enjoys the status of national sport. While rugby union also enjoys wide popularity, athletics, swimming, football and tennis aren’t too far behind.

Updated on Sep 26, 2012 12:34 AM IST
Hindustan Times |
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County stint promises another high
There's something about English county cricket that brings the best out of Indian players, especially those struggling for motivation and form. Sanjjeev K Samyal writes. Back with a bang: Harbhajan Singh

Updated on Sep 25, 2012 01:37 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Recharged Bhajji goes shopping
Happy that Sunday night's hard work had paid off, the India players, deservedly, decided to put their feet up on Monday. While some of them chose to relax in the comfort of their rooms, others checked out the facilities at their plush Colombo hotel.

Updated on Sep 25, 2012 12:38 AM IST
Hindustan Times | , Colombo
Sanjjeev K Samyal & Ajay AggarwalA ghost from the past...
What's in a name may be the popular refrain, but not when you want to somehow forget that unwanted past association. At the World Twenty20, the question that sprung to one's mind was whether the West Indies players were still associated with Stanford? Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 24, 2012 12:18 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
The spin is back in their stride
At the end of it, the Men in Blue came out with all guns blazing, with the bat and ball, while England will have to spend the next few days recalibrating their arsenal before the defending champions enter the Super Eights. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Scorecard

Updated on Sep 24, 2012 11:37 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Where's the crowd?
The teams have been playing here for nearly 10 days and it's Day Five of the tournament proper, but Saturday was the first time the R Premadasa Stadium saw a sizeable crowd in the stands. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 23, 2012 12:31 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
Thanks to the IPL, India are an open book for rivals
When the West Indies face Australia on Saturday, strategic inputs will come from Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 22, 2012 01:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
This Sachin leaves Sehwag in distress
In Friday's training session, the India camp spent a few nervous moments when Sehwag took a blow on his right thumb while fending an awkward ball against the fast bowlers. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 22, 2012 01:33 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Yuvraj comes back a calm, grown-up man
As he knocked Shapoor Zadran’s delivery over the boundary on Wednesday evening, Yuvraj Singh not only announced his return in his characteristic style but also laid to rest the fears and uncertainties of last nine months. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 21, 2012 01:39 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Bringing back smiles in their lives
As you pass by the Sri Lankan Tennis Association campus on weekdays in the morning, almost the entire area is taken over by players on wheelchairs. Sanjjeev K Samyal writes.

Updated on Sep 21, 2012 12:12 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
Top-sy turvy: Opening duo runs into a rough patch at World Twenty20
In the last two editions of the World Twenty20, India were without the combination of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order. On both occasions the team flopped. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Sehwag and Gambhir together | In last three matches

Updated on Sep 21, 2012 12:50 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Contrasting sides of Sri Lankan cricket
The Nondescripts Cricket Club and Sinhalese Sports Club are adjacent to each other. While skipper Mahela Jayawardene plays for Sinhalese, who run the Test venue, Kumar Sangakkara leads Nondescripts. Sanjjeev K Samyal writes.

Updated on Sep 20, 2012 12:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
Shaken at the start, have much to sort out
In the end, it turned out to be too close and tense. With a better fielding display and calm catching, an upset win for Afghanistan would have very much been possible in their opening Group A match of the ICC World T20. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Scorecard | Drop zone | Virat effort

Updated on Sep 20, 2012 11:05 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, New Delhi
Bowlers back to basics at India nets
After the demoralising defeat against Pakistan, it will be interesting to see how the Indian players shake off the seeds of doubts sowed in their minds. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 19, 2012 12:32 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Count on spin
Before the Indian team settled down in their dressing room ahead of Monday's warm-up tie against Pakistan, coach Duncan Fletcher took R Ashwin aside for a long chat. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Match reckoner

Updated on Sep 19, 2012 10:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Bonhomie, and then the battle
Those trying to understand why India-Pakistan matches take an entirely different hue should have observed the atmosphere at the R Premadasa Stadium before the warm-up game. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 17, 2012 11:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Bowling gives the blues
Weak bowling and shambolic fielding, a perennial problem which has afflicted Indian cricket for long, resurfaced at the R Premadasa Stadium on Monday to ensure that the Men in Blue will not go into the World Twenty20 in the right frame of mind. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Time for plenty20 | The squads | Highest scores in World T20 and venues

Updated on Sep 18, 2012 11:08 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Fearless cricket need of the hour
With the triumph in the inaugural World T20 being the only highlight, Men in Blue have lot to play for in the fourth edition. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports. Key batsmen | Key bowlers | Captain under fire | Expert speak | India’s swot analysis | India at World T20 | Mark these dates

Updated on Sep 17, 2012 10:39 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
On the move, almost forever...
The tough aspect of being part of the modern-day sports circuit is the travelling involved. The sportsmen are always on the road, and it gets really exhausting when they have to cover long distances. Just ask Aussie bowler Dirk Nannes. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Sep 16, 2012 11:35 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Colombo
Up for sale, Chargers face a spooky future
Next week might determine whether the Reddys' decision to invest in cricket was correct. As a last resort, the crisis-hit Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DCHL) issued a tender notice on Thursday to invite buyers for their Indian Premier League (IPL) team. Sanjjeev K Samyal and Amol Karhadkar report. Fall of the chargers

Updated on Sep 07, 2012 02:23 AM IST
Hindustan Times | , Mumbai
Sanjjeev K Samyal/Amol KarhadkarWindies caught in CLT20 tussle
In another tug of war for players in the Champions League Twenty20, Trinidad and Tobago's Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard find themselves in an awkward situation, having to choose between club and country. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Aug 22, 2012 11:50 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Mumbai
Gayle-force exposes flaw
One doubts if there is a bigger catch in the Indian Premier League than Chris Gayle? After all, he is the most destructive batsman in Twenty20 cricket. Had he been sold in the auction, it's a good bet that he would have broken all records. Sanjjeev K Samyal writes.

Updated on May 17, 2012 11:46 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Mumbai
Will the tide turn for Dhoni?
As he prepares to defend the crown, he's a man weighed down by the expectations and the leader of a battered team. Sanjjeev K Samyal reports.

Updated on Apr 04, 2012 02:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Chennai
Temptation island
The heady cocktail that IPL is makes it vulnerable to fixing, says Sanjjeev K Samyal.

Updated on Apr 02, 2012 01:26 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal
Running on empty
Fan response will show whether last year's slump was an aberration, says Sanjjeev K Samyal.

Updated on Mar 29, 2012 01:37 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, New Delhi
The search for the ‘lost coin’ is finally over for Tendulkar
Everyone was waiting to check his response. For the first time, Sachin Tendulkar was returning home from a tour amidst calls for retirement. Try as much as he could, Tendulkar was not able to wriggle out of the bad patch in Australia.

Updated on Mar 16, 2012 11:41 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjjeev K Samyal, Mumbai