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By:

Waleed Hussain

4 March 2025 at 2:34:30 pm

Opener turned into six -hitting contest

Mumbai: The IPL 2026 opening match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium wasn’t a cricket contest. It was a full-scale six-hitting festival, complete with bowlers serving as reluctant ball boys and the leather sphere treating the boundary ropes like an optional suggestion rather than a hard limit. SRH, batting first after being inserted, scraped together 201 for 9 in their full 20 overs. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the charge with a...

Opener turned into six -hitting contest

Mumbai: The IPL 2026 opening match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium wasn’t a cricket contest. It was a full-scale six-hitting festival, complete with bowlers serving as reluctant ball boys and the leather sphere treating the boundary ropes like an optional suggestion rather than a hard limit. SRH, batting first after being inserted, scraped together 201 for 9 in their full 20 overs. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the charge with a fiery 80 off just 38 balls, peppering the stands with 5 sixes and eight fours. It was the kind of knock that screams “I’m the captain now, watch me launch.” Youngster Aniket Verma (or Ankit, depending on the scorecard scribbles) chipped in with a brisk 43 that included another 4 sixes in a desperate late surge. Heinrich Klaasen added his usual muscle, but the early wobble to 49/3 thanks to Jacob Duffy’s fiery 3/22 in the powerplay kept things from spiraling into total absurdity. SRH’s total sixes: a “modest” 12. How refreshingly conservative. One almost expected them to apologize to the bowlers for not clearing the stadium entirely. Then came RCB’s reply. Chasing 202, the defending champions made it look like a Sunday net session gone gloriously rogue. They polished off the target in a mere 15.4 overs, losing just 4 wickets and winning by 6 wickets with 26 balls to spare. Devdutt Padikkal went ballistic with 61 off 26 balls — a strike rate that would embarrass a missile. He smashed 4 sixes and seven fours, treating SRH spinners like they owed him money. The middle overs turned into a personal highlight reel as he dispatched deliveries into the second and third tiers with contemptuous ease. Elder Statesman Virat Kohli, ever the composed elder statesman at 69 not out off 38, casually added 5 sixes of his own. King Kohli didn’t just bat; he conducted a masterclass in timed aggression, finishing the game with a flourish of boundaries that had the Chinnaswamy crowd in absolute delirium. Rajat Patidar and a quick cameo from Tim David ensured there were no unnecessary heart attacks for the home faithful. RCB’s six tally: a cheeky 13. Combined across both innings? A staggering 25 sixes in one high-octane evening. That’s not T20 cricket anymore. That’s aerial warfare with a red leather projectile. The ball spent more time orbiting the stadium than rolling on the turf. Ground staff probably clocked more kilometers chasing it into the stands than the batsmen ran between wickets. Spectators got an unexpected workout fielding souvenirs, while bowlers stared skyward like astronomers discovering new constellations every over. “Where did that one go?” became the unofficial match commentary.
Collective Hug The bowlers deserve a collective group hug — or perhaps therapy. Jacob Duffy’s impressive debut haul was the lone bright spot for the attack, but even he must have questioned his career choices every time a length ball disappeared into the night. Short balls? Met with the same disdain. Full tosses? Please, they were practically gift-wrapped invitations to the parking lot. Harshal Patel and the SRH death bowlers leaked runs like a sieve in the final stages, watching six after six sail over their heads while fielders sprinted futilely, arms outstretched in vain hope. The spinners fared even worse. One over from a hapless SRH tweaker disappeared for multiple maximums, turning what should have been a containing spell into a public humiliation. Krunal Pandya and Harsh Dubey were taken to the cleaners with such regularity that you half-expected the umpires to intervene on humanitarian grounds. Why bowl when the batsmen treat your best deliveries like practice balls for a batting cage? It’s almost insulting how nonchalantly these sixes were dispatched. No drama, no buildup — just clean, brutal connection followed by polite applause from the crowd and another sprint for the ball boys. Traditionalists mourning the death of “proper” cricket could only clutch their Test whites tighter and mutter about the good old days when a six was an event, not the default setting. At Chinnaswamy, the pitch played like a trampoline on steroids, and the boundaries shrank with every lusty swing. Group Therapy By the 15th over of the chase, the match had lost all pretense of competition. It became a group therapy session in power-hitting, where everyone took turns launching the ball into orbit. The six-count on the giant screen must have broken some internal software trying to keep up. If this is the tone for IPL 2026, buckle up, folks. Expect every subsequent game to threaten world records for most maximums, highest strike rates, and most exhausted retrieval staff. The real MVP? Not Kohli’s classy anchor, not Padikkal’s blitz, not even Duffy’s early breakthroughs. It was the six itself — that glorious, crowd-pleasing projectile that turned a cricket match into prime-time entertainment. Bowlers might as well start their run-ups from the sightscreen next time; at least give the ball a fighting chance. Bravo to both teams for kicking off the season with such unapologetic carnage. You’ve reminded us why we love this format: raw power, minimal fuss, and maximum entertainment. Just don’t be surprised when future matches come with a mandatory “six insurance” clause for nearby residents. The ropes are trembling, the stands are full, and the bowlers are already booking appointments with sports psychologists. Long live the six. May the aerial assault continue unabated.

‘Digital access equalises rural-urban law students’

Justice Milind Jadhav observes that thousands of law students from rural and semi-urban backgrounds are steadily bridging the gap with their urban peers

Mumbai: The digital revolution has emerged as a decisive equalizer and a boon for law education, particularly for students in India’s mofussil regions, according to Justice Milind Narendra Jadhav of the Bombay High Court.

 

Justice Jadhav observed that thousands of law students from rural and semi-urban backgrounds - despite limited infrastructure and other disadvantages - are steadily bridging the gap with their urban peers. It is thanks to access to the internet, online lectures, digital libraries and virtual legal resources that were restricted and once beyond reach of those in need.

 

“The digital era has compressed distances like never before. Today, there is little difference in academic exposure between rural and urban students. The new generation of law students is no longer constrained by geography, and digital-technology has democratised legal education,” Justice Jadhav told ‘The Perfect Voice.’

 

Nevertheless, certain structural and operational gaps remain due to multiple factors. Justice Jadhav pointed out that many students from non-urban backgrounds continue to struggle with proficiency in English - the primary language of higher judiciary proceedings in India.

  

Local Languages

Simultaneously, he flagged a contrasting concern: a section of urban law students and even fresh graduates often lack adequate familiarity with local languages. In Maharashtra, for instance, crucial legal documents like FIRs, witness statements and police records are frequently drafted in Marathi.

 

“There are instances where young lawyers depend on juniors or clerical staff to interpret such local-language documents before they can proceed with a matter. This dependence can undermine professional confidence and efficiency,” he cautioned.

 

Under such circumstances, he urged both categories of students to consciously strengthen their command over English and the local languages respectively, to argue and present cases before constitutional courts effectively.

 

“Linguistic competence must be balanced at all levels. While English remains indispensable in higher courts, proficiency in regional languages is equally critical for effective litigation at the grassroots level. In a multilingual society like ours, language should serve as a bridge - not a barrier - to justice,” Justice Jadhav observed.

 

Moot Court 

His bold remarks came during an informal interaction on the sidelines of the third National Moot Court Competition hosted by Peoples Education Society (PES)'s Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Law College, Wadala, in which 30 student-teams from across India participated, said one of the organisers, Advocate Mangala Waghe.

 

“Moot Courts play a vital role in shaping young legal minds by simulating courtroom environments, helping students overcome hesitation and build advocacy skills. They afford students a ‘feel of the court’. While nothing can truly substitute real courtroom proceedings, these platforms help in shedding inhibitions and sharpening legal reasoning,” Justice Jadhav declared.

 

Broader Exposure 

 

Significantly, the judge suggested premier law institutions in metropolitan centres should take proactive steps to woo students from smaller towns – by physical participation or by facilitating virtual access - to prestigious academic or competitive platforms to ensure broader exposure and inclusivity.

 

Citing his own example, Justice Jadhav highlighted the importance of cultural and linguistic adaptability in legal practice, saying besides English, he routinely converses in Marathi and, where necessary, Gujarati—particularly to put young lawyers at ease in the court.

 

Though acknowledging the growing discourse around conducting court proceedings in regional languages, he felt it is too early to speak of a complete transition - given the complexities involved.

 

However, he was unequivocal that knowledge of local languages cannot be treated as optional for legal practitioners. “Language must act as a facilitator of justice. In a country governed by the rule of law, it should never become an obstacle,” Justice Jadhav asserted.

 

WR clerk to HC judge

Justice Milind Narendra Jadhav’s professional journey reflects determination, academic excellence and professional grit. An alumnus of St. Teresa’s High School, Charni Road, he graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai in Life Sciences and Biochemistry in 1990. Soon after, he joined the Western Railway (WR) as a Senior Clerk in the Establishment/Administration Department, where he served for seven years.

 

Even while working, he continued to pursue higher education - earning an advanced diploma in computers and a postgraduate diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. He later completed his LL.B. from Government Law College, Mumbai and LL.M. from the University of Mumbai (1997–1998).

 

After interning under Advocate P. Y. Kulkarni, he enrolled as an advocate in February 1998 and built up an enviable practice on both the Original and Appellate sides of Bombay High Court. Notably, he served as Standing Counsel for the Custodian in proceedings before the Special Court dealing with the aftermath of the 1992 Harshad Mehta stock-market scam from 2000 onwards.

 

Justice Jadhav's judicial career took off with his elevation as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court in August 2019, then confirmed as a permanent judge in June 2021 - marking the culmination of an inspiring rise from a railway clerk to a distinguished member of the country’s higher judiciary.

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