While talent and skill are important to win any game, the luck factor cannot be ignored too. And United Kingdom resident, Narendra Bhojani believes he holds India’s luck in his hands, quite literally.
While talent and skill are important to win any game, the luck factor cannot be ignored too. And United Kingdom resident, Narendra Bhojani believes he holds India’s luck in his hands, quite literally.
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Manchester-based Narendra Bhojani at WACA yesterday with his kalash which he believes is India’s lucky charm. Pic/Ashwin Ferro
The 43-year-old, proudly dressed in tri-coloured clothing at the WACA yesterday, was holding aloft a kalash (plastic pot) in his hand claiming it is Indian cricket’s lucky charm. “I’ve taken this kalash with me to all of India’s big matches. Right from the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai to the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2013 at London — and India won it all. This time too I’m following the Indian team around for the World Cup and you’ll see that we will be champions again thanks to this kalash,” said the 43-year-old shopkeeper from Manchester. The kalash sure proved lucky yesterday as Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co beat West Indies by four wickets in an interesting low-scoring encounter.
Windies’ 182 serves up 1983 reminder
Yesterday’S India vs West Indies World Cup Group ‘B’ bore resemblance to the Prudential Cup final between these two nations at Lord’s in 1983. India were bowled out for 183 in that final and the Windies set India a target of 183 this time round. In another similarity, then India captain Kapil Dev had admitted later that he thought the total was never enough against then favourites West Indies. Here too, Windies’ captain Jason Holder said after the match that he thought their total was not enough against favourites India.
MS Dhoni goes for the stump again
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni loves his stump souvenirs so much that time and again he tries to get his hands on one even when it is not permitted to do so anymore. He tried to pick a stump during last year’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh but couldn’t. He then tried to pick one of the bails after India’s recent World Cup win against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval, and was again told that he couldn’t. Yesterday, after he played a patient 56-ball 45 to help India beat the West Indies by four wickets, the skipper tried to pick one of the stumps, but quickly realised that he couldn’t, and hence held back. This tournament, just like the ICC World T20 in Bangladesh, is using touch sensitive LED stumps that blink whenever the bails are whipped off. The set of stumps cost a whopping USD 40,000 (Rs 24 lakh), which is why they are not allowed to be taken away by players as souvenirs anymore.
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