Aayush Puthran

Journalist: Cricbuzz | Author: Unveiling Jazbaa | ❤️: Filter kaapi

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

📚 NEW BOOK RELEASE - Chasing Like Dhoni

MS Dhoni’s greatest legacy is to make a generation of boys and girls from the hinterlands of the country believe that they can make it big in Indian cricket irrespective of where they hail from. In a society shaped by entrenched inequities, the sport has come to represent a level playing field, where talent seems capable of transcending inherited disadvantage.

With each season of the IPL, new rags-to-riches stories emerge, and hope proliferates for many: no matter what the life circumstances are, cricket will help them find a way out of generational woes.

If Rinku Singh from Aligarh, Yashasvi Jaiswal from Bhadohi and Minnu Mani from Choyimoola can, so can I. Led by this optimism bias, millions enter the race to become the next big star of the country.

Today, kids from Bhilwara to Baramulla, Morena to Mawsynram, Samastipur to Strait Island - barefoot or with Nike boots - are a part of this pursuit.

But in a country where less than 600 men and women have represented the national team in nearly a century, what sustains their drive as they navigate parental pressures, and financial, social and structural challenges to make their way to the top? How do these aspirants make sense of their dreams, struggles and sacrifices in this new IIT/UPSC-like race?

This is the story of the great Indian cricketing dream.

Foreword by @bhogleharsha.

‘Behind the headlights and highlights, the myriad, complicated truths about the subculture that is Indian cricket, told with detail, understanding and empathy.’ - Sharda Ugra

'This saga of Indian cricket from the bottom up teems with unforgettable characters, inspiring and harrowing stories, shrewd and measured observations, and a profound love of the game.' - Gideon Haigh

[ThePrintIndia @ThePrintIndia]

The cost of being a cricketer in India—there’s a world beyond Rinku, Reddy, Suryavanshi

Read this excerpt from Aayush Puthran and Samod's ‘Chasing Like Dhoni’, a @PenguinIndia publication

#ThePrintPageTurner

https://t.co/oUZt8wSvq4

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Someone remind this 'body language' expert that they were there to get justice for the families of students who committed suicide, having to fight against state power.

They are staying firm with their demands.

English cricket literature comparaing four hours of facing a leather ball at the crease on an uneven pitch to 'bravery' has left cricketers disillusioned.

[Jatin Paranjape @jats72]

Just looking at the terrible body language of the so called saviours of our nation (the cockroaches) , i can say one thing. NOTHING can come out of these talks.

[Gitanjali J Angmo @GitanjaliAngmo]

Before you rush to criticise @Wangchuk66, first pause to earn the ethos of fasting for 26 days for a cause larger than yourself.
He lies in the ICU today, having lost 11 kg, including muscle mass, because he chose sacrifice over comfort. The least we can offer him is a day of compassion before burdening him with our own expectations and political calculations.
Not everyone is qualified to judge a life of selfless service. One must first earn the moral stature to do so.
Please..Have a heart.

[Business Standard @bsindia]

#BookReview | #Cricket runs on a wheel that resembles life’s own - unreliable, ungenerous. Still, the wheel turns, and millions of Indians climb onto it each morning, chasing entry into a club that has room for so few.

#Books #MSDhoni | @aroomofwords
https://t.co/w2ia3wNxqR

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

@aroomofwords @bsindia @PenguinIndia Thanks, @aroomofwords. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Amritesh Mukherjee @aroomofwords]

I enjoyed reading this one a lot, a slim piece, yet packing more than many heavyweights.

My piece for @bsindia
@PenguinIndia @aayushputhran

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

"Moons would much rather prefer the company of dogs than humans."

Andy Richards has witnessed the rise of Beth Mooney from close quarters, having trained her from the age of 11, and then at various levels - Queensland, Brisbane Heat and Australia A.

He sheds light on the making of Australia's crisis champion - Beth Mooney.

Tough, smart, and sometimes "too honest"

https://t.co/YHez5j1jLm

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

4 games, 3 wins, 11 dropped catches.

Nothing new. It's been a recurring issue. Since the start of 2025, India have dropped 46 catches in 25 T20Is - the most by a team.

It wasn't any different in their 2025 50-over World Cup winning campaign either, where they dropped the most catches and misfielded 87 times - the most by any team.

The problem has been identified, but no one quite knows what the solution is. "In our fielding sessions, we don't leave a single catch. It's very rare, maybe in extremely tough cases."

https://t.co/qXqKKH2c4B

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

If India stick to the two-pacer combination, they have trialled out 4 out of 6 potential combinations.

But this trial and error is not even the issue - among the 12 participating teams, India have been the least reliant team on their seamers. The concerns are deeper.

In the ongoing World Cup, the Indian pacers have picked the least number of wickets, have the poorest strike rate and average, and been the third most expensive pace attack in the competition (after Netherlands and Pakistan).

It's not that the Indian pacers have been unlucky. They have induced the least percentage of false strokes among all the pace attacks in the competition.

https://t.co/Sm57HAfuXl

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

BOOK REVIEW 🔖

CHASING LIKE DHONI by Ayush Purthan and Samod offers a story of a very different India than what we see on TV.

https://t.co/YQinyT0oxP

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Five years ago, for a few parents in Selwyn District, one pain point was that there was no cricket coaching available in their area for girls once they entered high school. Till the age of 12, girls could play in mixed-teams, and thereafter if they wanted to continue pursuing the sport, they would have to travel to Christchurch, around 25 kms from Selwyn, and play for teams in the city. Not surprisingly, it was also a point when most girls would drop out of cricket in Selwyn.

So, in March 2021, four parents came together, and before the start of the cricket season in October, formed their own all-girls cricket club.

Over the years, its popularity has swelled. It now has eight teams across different age categories, with around 80 girls and women actively participating, including eight mother-daughter duos.

https://t.co/y9FLD89h0G

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Prolific, destructive and consistent - Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, working like fire and ice, delight in equal measure.

On the most successful T20I partnership in world cricket - what gets them ticking together and how they remain crucial for India’s chances at the T20 World Cup.

The Hammer and the Scalpel

https://t.co/mJAoYXj7Qp

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

As a single-earning member of the family, having to handle the expenses of five kids, Shyam Sundar Sharma and his son Akash had to limit their cricket aspirations to take up financial responsibilities of the family.

But they wanted Nandani to keep playing.

"We never let Nandani feel that strain of financial challenges," says Akash. "We wanted her to keep growing as a cricketer, because she enjoyed playing the sport. It was a collective decision of the family to let her work towards becoming a professional cricketer. We told her to keep playing and not worry about anything else. If financial challenges come up, we will handle it."

Yesterday, Nandani was bowling with a fair bit of fire in the nets, bothering the batters with sharp bounce. At Headingley, with long side boundaries, that delivery could prove very handy.

Today, she is making her World Cup debut.

https://t.co/qYtODLhWTq

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

At 28, Deepti Sharma is on the cusp of becoming the most successful bowler in women’s cricket. And that is just one half of the story. Her batting potential, even after more than 4000 international runs, is yet to be fully tapped into.

For years, even when the spotlight has drifted elsewhere, Deepti Sharma has remained adaptable, dependable and indispensable, an all-rounder who has become India's quiet constant through changing eras and times in global women’s cricket.

https://t.co/6CpWN5jpQB

[Ansuman Rath 🇮🇳 @_AnsumanRath]

Chasing Like Dhoni!

A book exploring the underbelly in Indian Cricket - about struggles, sacrifices & dreams. Has a foreword by Harsha Bhogle. Authored by @aayushputhran & Samod. Do read if you are invested in Cricket with handy snippets for Ian Bishop on the comm box.

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Through heartbreak, decline and hope: Netherlands' long road back

As Netherlands return to the Women's World Cup after 26 years, former players reflect on missed chances, shrinking numbers and a journey back from the margins.

https://t.co/8sEjSv7Id6

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Full video of the incident: https://t.co/p5pLnBA9Va

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Fatima Sana gets injured in the nets after getting hit by a delivery on her follow-through.

She didn't take any further part in the practise.

[Aayush Puthran @aayushputhran]

Fatima Sana gets injured in the nets after getting hit by a delivery on her follow-through.

She didn't take any further part in the practise.