'I was not able to watch that 19th over bowled by Arshdeep.' 'My son and daughter were watching the match and my eyes were closed.' 'When they used to shout 'Dot ball', I used to open my eyes, that is how I saw that Arshdeep over.'
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
R Ashwin has urged selectors and team management to show faith in Tilak Varma and include the left-hander in the World Cup squad.
'Making time exclusively for the child every day will convey to the young one that she is important to you,' says Bela Raj.
'People don't know about the immense pressures that come with this position -- every decision a judge takes affects real people and their lives.' 'This is not a job that one can take lightly.' A
'Our civil society here is vibrant, and courageous, although it is beaten up and beaten down, repeatedly.'
Rishabh Pant's individual brilliance has not gone unnoticed in Delhi Daredevils' stuttering campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League
It pains former F1 driver Karun Chandhok to see that interest in motorsport in India has declined drastically.
Shahbaz Ahmed, in his mind, had a questionnaire for Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers before getting started with what was to be his maiden Indian Premier League season. But the Bengal all-rounder will have to wait to don the Royal Challengers Bangalore red and gold as the possibility of having even a curtailed IPL is getting slimmer by the day with the rise of coronavirus positive cases in India.
Shubman Gill, who scored his maiden Test century at home in the ongoing fourth and final Test, said he was determined not play a loose shot.
'The government never asked any transport association before making this law on hit and run cases.' 'MPs only clapped to Amit Shah's new law and never questioned him about this law.' 'Are these MPs not bothered about the lives of drivers?'
'Our Indian culture system is very family oriented.' 'We value and respect the decisions of our parents to a great extent.' 'That can be a pro or con.' 'It's up to the parents to gauge how much motivation, pressure or space a child needs.' 'Every child is different.' 'We are all unique and that is what I intend to drive home to parents.'
'...Virat adds to the quality of any contest because he is such a wonderful player who brings fire, passion, competitiveness and great fan following to the sport. But personal matters always take preference over cricketing matters.'
'The real change will happen when more powerful roles come to me.' 'I am looking forward to that change.'
No new ideas, please, we are Indian. Seventeen years into the 21st century, we are still fixated by the ideas of the 20th century.
Rajasthan Royals' coach Kumar Sangakkara backs the Assamese all-rounder to repay the team's faith in him.
'The lack of a majority isn't the issue. He has enough in 240, especially as none of his allies can pull down his coalition.' 'That's why he's started as if this were just another, normal term. That pretence is vital for him.' 'The change for Modi 3.0 comes not from numbers, but from the new environment of contestation,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
Priyanka said the presence of Gandhis in the party would impede the functioning of a non-family president only if her family wanted things to be that way.
The former Los Angeles mayor's nomination was pending before the US Congress since July 2021 when he was nominated for the prestigious diplomatic posting by Biden.
'Our Left is squeamish about democracy. They are so mechanical they have only dogma.'
His talent has always been unquestionable but what has stood out for young Gujarat Titans southpaw Sai Sudharsan in this IPL is his impressive game awareness and decision making, traits he picked up during his maiden India stint in South Africa last year.
Maidaan draws out more yawns than yays, observes Sukanya Verma.
It's a different Srinagar from what Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf encountered 24 years ago. Tourists throng the Kashmir Valley post-Article 370, azaadi appears dead, and everyone says one man is responsible for this change, so what if his poster is nowhere to be seen.
If Yashasvi Jaiswal is happy slamming his first Test double hundred in only his sixth match, he is happier just being able to sleep, wake up, and work.
In a nation of 1.4 billion people, where a potential new creator is born every second, we pick 25 influencers who have ruled social media this year.
'The biggest turning point in Ashwin's career was when he switched to bowling off-spin. And I must thank my wife Chitra for that decision.'
rediffGURU Sunil Lala answers your personal finance-related queries.
'A campaign that goes beyond caste, creed and religion.' 'This is a campaign that aims to end hunger in society'
'BJP's ultimate ambition is to control Bihar independently.'
'The BJP's numbers in this government are almost the same as those enjoyed by the Congress under P V Narasimha Rao when the reform process was kicked off in 1991.' 'As before, the only constraints on the prime minister's actions are internal, not external.' 'They come from his own assessment of the political consequences of any action,' points out Mihir S Sharma.
'In my time, I didn't have that kind of guidance. 'I asked to speak to the international pageant winners before I went and nobody spoke with me. 'It doesn't take away from your title when you help others. It just brings more accolades back to our country.'
Young India pacer Khaleel Ahmed is learning everyday on his maiden tour of Australia and getting the much needed help from senior pro Bhuvneshwar Kumar on how to bowl on the hard and bouncy tracks Down Under.
David Bedingham scored his maiden Test century as South Africa handed New Zealand a victory target of 267 on a tricky pitch on the third day of the second and final Test.
Ashwin is the second highest wicket-taker in Tests for India behind Kumble (619), and the former India leg-spinner wasn't one bit surprised.
'Young India has shown the way. Young India is showing that they are not afraid. What a win, what a magnificent win'
Winning the inaugural ICC World Test Championship against India is one of the proudest achievements for any New Zealander, according to Kiwi pacer Trent Boult.
Boycott said that Anderson deserves all the adulation but owing to his age, he is being used too less.
Shubman Gill says irat Kohli's hunger and intensity on the cricket field inspires him, and he also strives to learn from captain Rohit Sharma.
Ashutosh Sharma revealed he didn't know where his career was heading during the time between 2020-22 when he fell out of favour with MP coach Chandrakant Pandit.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has nothing but empathy for Hardik Pandya as he navigates a challenging phase in his career and is hopeful that the all-rounder, who "hasn't been a free man in the last two months", will become one during next month's T20 World Cup.
