Rusi Modi

His death was as ironic as his departure from cricket. It came at the place that had been his life: The Cricket Club of India.

Former Delhi batsman Milind Kumar on Friday became the second fastest batsman to score 1,000 runs (in nine innings) in a Ranji Trophy season after Rusi Modi (1944/45 in 7 innings) when cracked his fourth ton for Sikkim, who ended the day at 321 for nine.

New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell joined a select group of players when they posted their fourth century partnership of a Test series on Sunday.

Rusi Cooper, who was the oldest - living First-Class cricketer in the world, having celebrated his 100th birthday on December 14 last year, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday morning at his residence in Kemp's Corner in South Bombay. He is survived by his daughter Dinaz and son-in-law Hoshang Zaveri, who live in Pune.

Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal emphasizes the need for early wickets against Mumbai's formidable batting line-up in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal clash. Mumbai faces batting order challenges with Sarfaraz Khan's fitness uncertain, while Karnataka is bolstered by Karun Nair's return and the presence of India stars, promising an intense contest.

KOLKATA: There's no love lost in this triangle, described by an art collector Anand Agarwal, art historian Shreyasi Chatterjee and her student at Rabindra Bharati, Susmita De Maity.

Young Gujarat left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla, who has been picked up as a stand-by player in the Indian team for the World Test Championship final and away series against England, is the only active 'Parsi' cricketer currently plying his trade in the domestic circuit and stands out for his pace.

MUMBAI: The qualities that Indian cricket team motivator Sandy Gordon talks about, of self-belief and motivation, were the ones stressed more than 75 years ago.

Mayank Agarwal continued his blazing run, notching up a record fifth consecutive hundred to put Karnataka in a winning position against Railways on the penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Group A clash at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.

Siddhesh Lad's stellar form continues as he notched his fifth century of the season, fourth in a row, crossing 700 runs. His unbeaten 102, alongside Suved Parkar's 53, guided Mumbai to a lead against Delhi. Lad's remarkable comeback and consistent performance raise hopes for a national call-up.

Mumbai captain Siddhesh Lad etched his name in history, equalling Rusi Modi and Sachin Tendulkar's record with his fifth Ranji Trophy century this season. His remarkable comeback after contemplating retirement, coupled with his father's unwavering support, highlights a resurgence in form. Lad's current batting prowess and maturity are evident as he leads Mumbai.

All Indians will feel a surge of pride that, by taking over the International Steel group, Lakshmi Mittal has become the world's biggest producer of steel.

LUCKNOW: Mumbai were the most determined and focussed of the teams on the domestic front and not surprisingly regained the Ranji Trophy after a gap of two years. Not having made it even to the super league from West Zone last season did rankle them no ends. They were thus out to put the record straight this year. Of course, they required the intervention of the genius called Sachin Tendulkar to help them fulfil that goal.

LUCKNOW: Mumbai were the most determined and focussed of the teams on the domestic front and not surprisingly regained the Ranji Trophy after a gap of two years. Not having made it even to the super league from West Zone last season did rankle them no ends. They were thus out to put the record straight this year. Of course, they required the intervention of the genius called Sachin Tendulkar to help them fulfil that goal.

Sunil Gavaskar is surely a very authentic voice of Indian cricket and he thinks the time has come for India to flex its cricket muscle on the field. "The first is always remembered, but this is really a historic occasion, a great achievement for Indian cricket. You can only go forward from here," he said.