Mohammed Azharuddeen from Kerala

For those who followed Indian cricket, Mohammad Azharuddin would forever remain the supreme batting artist, with a flick that could charm even Gods. Now, nearly 15 years later there is another Azhar, who is making waves in Kerala's cricketing circuit – Mohammed Azharuddeen. The wicketkeeper batsman has been recently included in the state Ranji Trophy squad after some impressive performances in the age-group cricket. He made his debut against Goa at Porvorim and then played against Saurashtra in the next match, and Kerala won both the ties. Azhar walked out as an opener. The clincher was his stroke-filled 156 against Maharashtra in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy, and a 63 against Vidarbha in the next game. Azharuddeen is the eighth child of BK Moidu and Nabeesa and was born in 1994 in Thalangara, Kasargod, Kerala. “My elder brother was a huge fan of former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and he insisted that I should be named after him. My dad agreed to the suggestion, but it is too big for me to get compared with a batsman like him,” he said.

N Bijumon, the young Azhar's coach, felt that the lad has it in his him to make it big. “He is a free-flowing stroke-maker and a good wicketkeeper. His 181 against Saurashtra last season offers ample proof of his ability with the bat, and if he keeps his head down and work hard then he can reach bigger heights. He has the natural ability. He is a good player against fast bowling,” he said. Azhar, a final year English Literature Degree student, also remembered fondly of the help extended by Kerala captain and Indian batsman Sanju Samson, terming his words had a “de-cluttering effect on him.”

Now, a start-up cricket league

Cricket has long since become a religion in India and over time it is becoming a viable career option as well. A Hyderabad-based start-up firm, Memilong, announced its plans to start a Start-up Cricket League from December 5 at the KVBR stadium. They have a dedicated Facebook page too for the event.

The event will feature 16 Start-ups across the country and it will be a novel way to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship. “A few months ago, we did a little event in Hyderabad called “MemiCricket” – to mark our one-year anniversary. The event turned out to be a huge success, with some more than 200 people turning up. But now the time has come to lift the even to a whole new level,” said the organisers. Further explaining the logic behind conducting such an event, they said, “There are many reasons for us to conduct such an event. First, we have done something similar before. It was a success and we want replicate that, hopefully at a bigger scale. Secondly, it is a new way to experience the Start-up Ecosystem in Hyderabad, specially for those from outside and cricket is a fine way to achieve this goal.” They believe that students and aspiring start-up businessmen would benefit from the event. “Here, we are giving a platform for them to get to know each other and discuss business in a relaxed atmosphere with cricket as background, rather than sit through long seminars and winding lectures,” they said. Umpires Day The Association of Cricket Umpires Karnataka (ACUK) will celebrate the Annual Umpires Day on Sunday (November 29) at the KSCA 'P' Corporate Hall. V Vikram Raju, former Test umpire and former vice-president of ACUK, will be the chief guest. R Sudhakar Rao, member of BCCI's Technical Committee and vice-president of KSCA, will be the Guest Speaker, while VN Kulkarni, president of the ACUK, will preside over the function.

A New Innings

Short films have been the rage among aspiring movie-makers of late. It's the easiest way for you to break into the movie world. Sreejith G has then combined his two passions – cinema and cricket, while making a short-film – Innings. Sreejith has over 15 years experience in South Indian film industry as a make-up artist, and has associated with movies like Traffic, Passenger and Diamond Necklace. “I have been thinking about directing a short film for some time now, and I wanted to do something that contains a message,” said Sreejith. “My venture came out in the shape of Innings. “In this film, players belong to a small cricket club come together to save the life of an accident victim. I am cricket player myself, and a member of the Muthuvattoor Cricket Club, Thrissur. So I decided to make cricket a theme for my short film that shows that how social media apps can be used for positive contributions to the society,” he added.