India's best with the bat in T20 World Cup

With the T20 world cup just around the corner it’s time to rewind some of the best performances of an Indian batsman in a T20 World Cup match. Indian cricket team always had a solid batting line-up studded with big hitters, so it is always expected from them to deliver the fireworks. I have chosen my personal favourite performances by an Indian batsman in a T20 World Cup match. I have ranked these knocks based on the parameters like impact on the match result, quality of innings and opposition.

5. Rohit Sharma vs South Africa,Super eight match at Durban, 2007
50* runs off 40 balls,     Strike rate- 125,    2 Sixes 7 Fours

In a must win scenario for India to stay alive in the tournament, Rohit Sharma came out to bat when his team was in deep trouble with a score of 33-3. On a tough wicket in Durban Sharma batting for the first time in a T20 match showed his class and scored a vintage half-century. Sharma’s valiant effort provided enough runs on the board for India in the match, which they won comfortably in the end. 

4. Suresh Raina vs South Africa, Group Stage match at St.Lucia, 2010
101 Runs off 60 Balls, Strike Rate- 168.3,   5 Sixes 9 Fours

After a lull in the previous edition of the T20 WC, this was India’s first big match in the world cup of 2010. Against a high quality bowling attack of South Africa Raina scored a brilliant century and became the first Indian to do so. His innings included 5 hits over the fence. It was crucial for India to start their campaign on a high against a good opposition and Raina just provided the perfect platform for that.

3. Gautam Gambhir  vs Pakistan,  Final at Johannesburg, 2007
75 Runs off 54 balls,    Strike rate-138.8,   2 Sixes 8 Fours

In the dream final between India and Pakistan, Gambhir came out to bat without his regular opening partner Sehwag. Gambhir playing sensibly scored a well paced 75 and ensured that India reached a respectable total to play with. His innings was very crucial as he held one end with authority allowing other to freely. Although his knock isn’t remembered much as it lacked the razzmatazz of a T20 innings, but nonetheless his effort was a match winning one.


2. Yuvraj Singh  vs England,  Semi-final at Duban, 2007
58 Runs off 16 Balls,   Strike rate- 362.5,   7 Sixes 3 Fours

In another must win situation for India Yuvraj came out to bat in the last stage of the first innings. Those who watched this match can never forget Yuvraj’s batting. His innings was studded with a record six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad. The way he smacked Broad in the penultimate over of the innings was simply outstanding. It's hard to imagine anything better than those sixes of Yuvraj. He scored a 12 ball half-century which is a world record. His blitzkrieg gave India a commanding total 218.


1. Yuvraj Singh   vs Australia,  Semi-final at Durban, 2007 
70 Runs off 30 balls,   Strike rate-233.3,  5 Sixes 5 Fours

This one is arguably the best T20 innings ever played by an Indian. In the semi-final against Australia, Yuvraj came out to bat when his team was tottering at 41-2 in 8 over’s. He came with all guns blazing and looked in complete control throughout his innings. Yuvraj smashed Australian bowlers all around the park. He followed his record breaking innings against England with another stellar performance in the semi-final. His blistering knock gave India a birth in the final.

After lifting the trophy in the first edition of the ICC T20 world cup 2007, India’s performance in the next two tournaments wasn’t up to the mark especially with the bat. In fact, India lost all their super eight matches in the world cup of 2009 and 2010.
 

Chhavi Rajawat: In pursuit of a new dawn

‘A society is as good as its people’ is an apt cliché in every social spectrum. Problem and solution are two faces of the same coin. In general, the problems we face are in some way a reflection of our erstwhile actions, so, naturally the solutions lie within us. The day we decide that what kind of a society we want, change is not far away. But, actually it’s easier said than done.

So, when I first heard of Chhavi Rajawat, I felt tremendous admiration and respect for her. She had done something very extraordinary and courageous. Rajawat, an LSR graduate, MBA from Pune, left the glittering city life, her corporate job for which she had already dedicated her five years and headed towards her ancestral village Soda in Rajasthan. There she became the youngest Sarpanch of the village Soda and probably the first one with an MBA degree. Soda is her paternal village and her father had already served there as a Sarpanch. But, she wasn’t impressed with the development work in Soda which she had seen in the past 20 years. So, Rajawat decided it was her turn to give something back to her village. 

Although, Chhavi Rajawat is not the first person to have left her job for politics or social issues, but her direct involvement at the grass-root level at a young age is something not often seen. Rajawat's choice of rural areas for her work is even more heartening. 

In India, more than 68% of the population live in villages and depend on agriculture but India’s agricultural growth rate has never crossed 2.5%, even when the overall economic growth rate was well above 10%. This clearly indicates that how badly our villages are deprived of development. Perhaps, what drove Rajawat into this decision was the fact that her work in a village is going to have much larger and direct impact on the society than her corporate job.

This jeans-clad Sarpanch is already seen as the changing face of rural India and she is also recognised by the UN for her efforts. Rajawat was praised for her work across the society and has become a source of inspiration for many. 

In the midst of all the appreciation and admiration she recently revealed all the troubles she had to face from the local bodies and their babus. She stated that some government officers are blocking her plans and crippling the whole Panchayat system. But, that hasn’t hampered her determination and she is standing even taller against the roadblocks and willing to bear greater pain for her village.