Nilankur Das, who heads the Delhi sports team, has reported on cricket, football and archery for 16 years.
Articles by Nilankur Das
World Cup 2015: Spin is India's key weapon to land the knockout punches
Considering the fact that India will play all their knockout matches in Australia, if they keep winning, other than Michael Clarke’s boys it is the team of Mahendra Singh Dhoni which has dominated in all the matches.
Updated on Mar 16, 2015 08:35 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Sydney
Game for the show: Skipper Dhoni and the art of chasing big targets
It’s been quite a while since his fans saw the skipper’s trademark helicopter shot. But hitting a six to bring up the winning runs, the ninth time he has done it, including the final shot in the 2011 World Cup, only showed that his confidence was right there.
Updated on Mar 15, 2015 10:52 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Auckland
World Cup: Teams are now wary of India's pacers
Rival teams have become wary of India's pacers, though Umesh Yadav needs to add consistency to speed.
Updated on Mar 13, 2015 11:30 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Auckland
Spin in India's strategy: Captain Dhoni finds way to push on
India now have Plan B and C. In their opening match against Pakistan in Adelaide, when Umesh Yadav was being targeted by Ahmed Shahzad, Mahendra Singh Dhoni quickly took him out of the attack and introduced Mohit Sharma.
Updated on Mar 12, 2015 02:42 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Auckland
World Cup: High five! Just what the doctor ordered for India
It was just what the doctor had ordered for India - five wins in a row. Ireland won the toss and their opening stand produced 89 runs in 15 overs. Those were the only two things they did right. The rest of the match belonged to India - from the time R Ashwin got India the first breakthrough, to the time Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane walked back to the pavilion together to a standing ovation from his teammates in the dressing room lawn.
Updated on Mar 10, 2015 09:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Hamilton, New Zealand
World Cup 2015: Men in Blue shouldn't lose focus and keep eyes fixed on the next job
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was in an unusually jovial mood on Friday night although it was another Holi away from home. Last year, it was the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, the year before India were playing Australia, in 2012 it was the Asia Cup in Bangladesh and it was the World Cup before that. But Friday presented many reasons for Dhoni to be happy about.
Updated on Mar 08, 2015 11:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das
World Cup 2015: Stuart Binny hoping India get a fresh spin in New Zealand
As India pack up to leave for a week in New Zealand where they play two matches, a key factor that had worked for them in the first four matches in Australia might prove ineffective, the role of spinners.
Updated on Mar 08, 2015 10:17 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
World Cup: India eye big WI-ndow of opportunity, here's how the 2 teams match up
The first over David Warner faced at the Waca, on way to a 178 against Afghanistan on Wednesday, the left-hander was early into his shot on four occasions and twice the ball hit the bottom of the bat. Then, he decided to settle down and work the ball around.
Updated on Mar 06, 2015 11:07 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
No apology yet but BCCI ticks off Kohli, tells him to behave
The BCCI on Thursday tried to put to rest the controversy surrounding cricketer Virat Kohli's abusive behaviour with a Hindustan Times journalist after the Indian cricket team's training session in Perth on Tuesday.
Updated on Mar 06, 2015 07:50 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth New Delh
World Cup 2015: After grand start, time for Men in Blue to test reserves
Bhuvneshwar Kumar was padded up and waiting alone in the dugout close to the nets. He had just tossed the ball he was bowling with to Stuart Binny. The session was drawing to a close and one by one, Rahane, Kohli, Raina and Dhoni left for the dressing room.
Updated on Feb 28, 2015 08:14 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
Focus on India’s home stretch batting blues
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were busy checking out DVDs and shoes at a store in a shopping mall on Hay Street, a couple of blocks away from the team hotel. Team director Ravi Shastri, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina too joined them in a bit as the media chased them around.
Updated on Feb 27, 2015 04:48 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
No brute power, timing does it for Rahane
He is not considered a big hitter, yet he hits sixes with ease even in grounds as big as the MCG. He is typecast as a batsman technically sound and in the Test mode, yet he scores at more than run-a-ball with the same ease with which he plays his drives through covers.
Updated on Feb 26, 2015 04:44 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
World Cup 2015: When things started falling into place for the Indian team
The landing was not quite in sync with the surroundings thereafter. The shrill voice of the captain asking the cabin attendants to take their seats for landing was a wake-up call in that red-eyed flight from Melbourne to the far west of this huge country.
Updated on Feb 25, 2015 09:17 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, New Delhi
Tight bowling, focused batting: How India are turning it around at WC
A trend seen in this World Cup so far is that unlike one-dayers in the subcontinent, acceleration in the slog overs is something teams have failed to achieve. The primary reason has been the size of most grounds in Australia, and in New Zealand where the boundaries are shorter but the ball moves for a considerably longer period.
Updated on Feb 24, 2015 12:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Perth
Meet the performer: Shikhar Dhawan peaks when it matters most
There is a ritual among Bengalis called jamai shasthi (son-in-law and sixth day of the lunar cycle) where the son-in-law is fed to near death, although it is the mother-in-law who prays for his long life. Now, what is the link? Shikhar Dhawan is married to a Bengali, Ayesha Mukherjee, who lives in Melbourne. So, if the batsman visits his in-laws after Sunday’s heroics, the reception is likely to overwhelm him.
Updated on Feb 23, 2015 05:17 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
Dhawan breaks Australia blues, India thrash South Africa by 130 runs
Inside the ‘bowl’ (what they call the playing area here), India registered a 130-run win over South Africa and are off to a flying start in trying to defend the title. The four teams that await India in Group B now are UAE and West Indies at Perth followed by Ireland and Zimbabwe in New Zealand.
Updated on Feb 23, 2015 07:52 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
World Cup 2015, India vs South Africa: Men in Blue ready to take on mighty Proteas
Fan support will boost India against the formidable South Africans, but sustaining momentum will be crucial at the sprawling MCG.
Updated on Feb 22, 2015 08:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
Take that! Hair-apparent Virat Kohli emulates Cristiano Ronaldo
What's in a mane? Lots they say: image, character, confidence and of course fashion and looks. A statement that used to come from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has shown the world that he is as passionate about sporting new hairstyles as he is about guns, cars and bikes. Some of them, he looks to have passed on to his lieutenant Virat Kohli.
Updated on Feb 21, 2015 02:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
Ind vs SA: Men in Blue gear up to face Proteas pace battery
The ‘mauka mauka’ ad by the official broadcasters in the build up to India’s second match, against South Africa at the iconic MCG on Sunday, is a dig at the Men in Blue’s dubious ‘clean sheet’ against the Proteas in World Cups.
Updated on Feb 20, 2015 08:23 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
Partnership breaker: Indian board disallows WAGs to travel with team
Did Germany win the football World Cup last year because their federation allowed wives and girlfriends to travel with the team? It did have a very positive effect on the outcome but it wasn’t the reason why Germany won the World Cup, coach Joachim Loew said later.
Updated on Feb 20, 2015 12:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
Kirsten goes to South Africa camp with Team India's trade secrets
Everyone associated with the St Kilda Cricket Club will tell you stories of how Shane Warne learnt his cricket here. They will also tell you how he actually aspired to become a footballer and was quite a handy player at under-19 level.
Updated on Feb 19, 2015 01:02 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
World Cup: Team India unwind on their 'rare' day off
The usual sight around team hotels is of fans, mainly people of Indian origin, crowding outside, patiently waiting for the cricketers to come out to get autographs and take selfies with them. Not so here, even after India returned to the city with a victory over Pakistan under their belt.
Updated on Feb 18, 2015 05:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das
New ODI rules force bowlers to do all the running
If people thought the ball will dominate the bat at this World Cup, the early trend suggests they will have to revise their opinion.
Updated on Feb 17, 2015 08:39 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Melbourne
World Cup: India crush Pakistan by 76 runs to launch campaign in style
India's bowlers backed-up a landmark century by Virat Kohli as the defending champions continued their World Cup domination of Pakistan with a 76-run win at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Updated on Feb 16, 2015 03:19 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Adelaide
India-Pak clash: It's time to make capital in win-win game
It took the International Cricket Council four editions of the World Cup to realise the potential of an India-Pakistan match. And every time starting with 1992, the fierce rivals have faced each other in the tournament except in 2007, when the mouthwatering prospect of a clash between the Titans was reduced to Bangladesh facing Ireland following two massive upsets in two days at the group stage.
Updated on Feb 15, 2015 01:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Adelaide
Indian team carries no excess baggage, says 2011 winner Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir rose to the challenge in the 2011 World Cup, soaking in all the early pressure and set India on to the victory path with a priceless 97. He stitched together a 109-run stand with skipper MS Dhoni for the fourth wicket that helped India win their second World Cup.
Updated on Jan 16, 2015 03:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das
Asian Games - A fight to survive before thriving for Indian archers
The Seo Hyang Soon Archery Center in Gwangju, South Korea, about three hours by flight from Incheon, has been home to the Indian archery squad for the past three weeks. According to Tarundeep Rai, silver medallist in men’s individual recurve bow at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, the archers have settled down to the time difference.
Updated on Sep 16, 2014 11:55 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, New Delhi
World T20: Wide ways of Sri Lanka bowlers did India in
In the last four overs on Sunday, India scored just 19 and that is where Dhoni’s boys lost the plot. Other than the in-form Kohli, no other India batsman even looked like taking the attack to the Sri Lanka bowlers.
Updated on Apr 08, 2014 09:46 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Mirpur
World T20: When Virat was left fretting on one end
Throughout the India innings it appeared that the match was happening on two different wickets. On one end, Virat Kohli was hitting through the line. At the other end Indian batsmen struggled to even fetch singles.
Updated on Apr 07, 2014 02:06 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Mirpur
Sangakkara, Malinga help Sri Lanka win T20 World Cup
In victory, Sri Lanka’s inseparable duo Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene celebrated their retirement from T20 Internationals with their first world title, ending their country’s 18-year wait. The match as it happened |Full Coverage
Updated on Apr 07, 2014 10:19 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Nilankur Das, Mirpur