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By:

Naresh Kamath

5 November 2024 at 5:30:38 am

Battle royale at Prabhadevi-Mahim belt

Amidst cut-throat competition, five seats up for grabs Mumbai: South Central Mumbai’s Prabhadevi-Mahim belt, an epicentre of Mumbai’s politics, promises a cut-throat competition as the two combines – Mahayuti and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine – sweat it out in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. It is the same ward where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray used to address mammoth rallies at Shivaji Park and also the residence of MNS chief...

Battle royale at Prabhadevi-Mahim belt

Amidst cut-throat competition, five seats up for grabs Mumbai: South Central Mumbai’s Prabhadevi-Mahim belt, an epicentre of Mumbai’s politics, promises a cut-throat competition as the two combines – Mahayuti and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine – sweat it out in the upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. It is the same ward where Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray used to address mammoth rallies at Shivaji Park and also the residence of MNS chief Raj Thackeray. This belt has five wards and boasts of famous landmarks like the Siddhivinayak temple, Mahim Dargah and Mahim Church, and Chaityabhoomi, along with the Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of Shiv Sena (UBT) combine. This belt is dominated by the Maharashtrians, and hence the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS has been vocal about upholding the Marathi pride. This narrative is being challenged by Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Sada Sarvankar, who is at the front. In fact, Sada has fielded both his children Samadhan and Priya, from two of these five wards. Take the case of Ward number 192, where the MNS has fielded Yeshwant Killedar, who was the first MNS candidate announced by its chief, Raj Thackeray. This announcement created a controversy as former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Priti Patankar overnight jumped to the Eknath Shinde camp and secured a ticket. This raised heckles among the existing Shiv Sena (Shinde) loyalists who raised objections. “We worked hard for the party for years, and here Priti has been thrust on us. My name was considered till the last moment, and overnight everything changed,” rued Kunal Wadekar, a Sada Sarvankar loyalist. ‘Dadar Neglected’ Killedar said that Dadar has been neglected for years. “The people in chawls don’t get proper water supply, and traffic is in doldrums,” said Killadar. Ward number 191 Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vishaka Raut, former Mumbai mayor, is locked in a tough fight against Priya Sarvankar, who is fighting on the Shiv Sena (Shinde) ticket. Priya’s brother Samadhan is fighting for his second term from neighbouring ward 194 against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Nishikant Shinde. Nishikant is the brother of legislator Sunil Shinde, a popular figure in this belt who vacated his Worli seat to accommodate Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray. Sada Sarvankar exudes confidence that both his children will be victorious. “Samadhan has served the people with all his dedication so much that he put his life at stake during the Covid-19 epidemic,” said Sada. “Priya has worked very hard for years and has secured this seat on merit. She will win, as people want a fresh face who will redress their grievances, as Vishaka Raut has been ineffective,” he added. He says the Mahayuti will Ward number 190 is the only ward where the BJP was the winner last term (2017) in this area, and the party has once nominated its candidate, Sheetal Gambhir Desai. Sheetal is being challenged by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vaishali Patankar. Sheetal vouches for the BJP, saying it’s time to replace the Shiv Sena (UBT) from the BMC. “They did nothing in the last 25 years, and people should now give a chance to the BJP,” said Sheetal. Incidentally, Sheetal is the daughter of Suresh Gambhir, a hardcore Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray loyalist, who has been a Mahim legislator for 4 terms and even won the 1985 BMC with the highest margin in Mumbai. In the neighbouring ward number 182, Shiv Sena (UBT) has given a ticket to former mayor and veteran corporator Milind Vaidya. He is being challenged by BJP candidate Rajan Parkar. Like the rest of Mumbai, this belt is also plagued by inadequate infrastructure to support the large-scale redevelopment projects. The traffic is in the doldrums, especially due to the closure of the Elphinstone bridge. There are thousands of old buildings and chawls which are in an extremely dilapidated state. The belt is significant, as top leaders like Manohar Joshi, Diwakar Raote and Suresh Gambhir have dominated local politics for years. In fact, Shiv Sena party’s first Chief Minister, Manohar Joshi, hailed from this belt.

Can Mumbai Cricket's Golden Legacy Produce Another Sachin Tendulkar?

As the cradle of Indian cricket, Mumbai has churned out legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Sachin Tendulkar, the Little Master himself. Tendulkar, born in 1973, debuted at 16 and redefined batting with his 24-year odyssey of 100 international centuries. But in an era of T20 dominance, IPL glamour, and global distractions, will Mumbai's fabled maidans—Wankhede, Shivaji Park, Cross Maidan—birth another such phenomenon? My view: it's unlikely in the near future, though the talent pool remains deep. Mumbai's system excels at nurturing skills, but the Tendulkar alchemy of timing, temperament, and opportunity feels increasingly rare.


A Factory of Icons

Mumbai's cricket ecosystem is unmatched. Shivaji Park, where Tendulkar honed his craft under coach Ramakant Achrekar, symbolizes this. The city hosts the Harris Shield and Giles Shield, breeding grounds for prodigies. Tendulkar emerged from here, smashing a half-century on Ranji debut at 15. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) dominates domestic cricket, winning 41 Ranji Trophies - the most by any team. This infrastructure, combined with a street-smart, pressure-cooked culture, forges resilient players.


Yet, replication is tough. Tendulkar benefited from a Test-heavy era. In the 1980s-90s, local leagues like Kanga and Talim sharpened technique against spin and seam on uncovered pitches. Parents like Tendulkar's allowed single-minded focus; his school prioritized cricket. Today, that purity dilutes amid coaching academies charging fees and parental ambitions pushing multi-sport diversification.


Irreplaceable Magic

What made Tendulkar singular? Technique fused with genius: the straight drive, wristy flicks, and 360-degree adaptability. Off the field, humility and hunger shone—no scandals, just 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 in ODIs. Mumbai provided the stage, but his DNA and era aligned perfectly. He faced Wasim Akram and Shane Warne at their peak, building an iron will.


Post-Tendulkar, Mumbai produced stars like Rohit Sharma (42 Tests, IPL captaincy mastery) and Ajinkya Rahane (solid but not transcendent). Prithvi Shaw dazzled with a 546 in school cricket but faltered under IPL hype and inconsistency—six Tests, average 10. Current prospects like Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai-born, IPL-starred) show promise: 2,716 Ranji runs, India Test debut centurion. Sarfaraz Khan aggregates massively in domestics (4,379 Ranji runs). But neither matches Tendulkar's longevity or impact. Jaiswal's flair evokes echoes, yet T20's slap-pull obsession risks diluting his red-ball purity.


Modern Challenges

T20 has reshaped Mumbai cricket. The IPL, with Mumbai Indians' five titles, spotlights white-ball hitters over accumulators. Youngsters chase sixes for contracts, sidelining defensive drills. Tendulkar played 664 internationals; today's kids eye IPL auctions first. Data backs this: since 2010, Mumbai's Ranji batting average dropped 5-7 points, per Cricbuzz stats, reflecting aggressive shifts.


Urban pressures compound issues. Mumbai's space crunch means fewer maidans; Cross Maidan floods with nets, but quality bowlers dwindle as they migrate to IPL franchises. Coaching commercializes—Achrekar's free, instinctive methods yield to video analysis and biomechanics. Nutrition and fitness improved, but mental fortitude lags. Tendulkar endured without sports psychologists; now, overload breeds fragility, as seen in Shaw's slump.


Globalisation fragments loyalty. Talents like Jaiswal train in Rajasthan academies for exposure. Parental coaching via YouTube supplants gully wisdom. Women's cricket thrives (e.g., Smriti Mandhana), but men's talent thins at the top.


Glimmers of Hope

Still, Mumbai pulses with potential. The MCA's refurbished facilities and National Cricket Academy tie-ups nurture raw talent. Initiatives like MCA's age-group programs scout slums to suburbs. Jaiswal, at 23, could evolve into a 10,000-run Test batter. Emerging names — Angkrish Raghuvanshi (U19 World Cup star), Musheer Khan (Ranji centurions) — hint at revival.


Yet, Tendulkar 2.0 demands confluence: a once-in-generation talent, stable India selection, and Test cricket's primacy. With The Hundred, Big Bash, and SA20, formats splinter focus. India's batting depth (Yashasvi, Shubman Gill) crowds pathways, unlike Tendulkar's monopoly.


Mumbai will produce fine cricketers—captains, IPL heroes, maybe a Kohli-esque chaser. But another Tendulkar? improbable soon. His era's alchemy—grit-forged maidans, Test worship, singular devotion—clashes with T20's frenzy. The city must reclaim its soul: prioritize red-ball leagues, mentor intuitively, resist commercialization. Until then, Tendulkar remains the unmatchable jewel in Mumbai's crown.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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