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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was...

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was flooded with a viral video of a group of men at Mira Road taking a piglet to a locality where goats were brought for religious sacrifice. Aparjita Ashish, the founder and director of Animal Climate and Health said, “It is an act of cruelty to kill animals for religious sacrifice but to protest against this they were harassing a baby pig. The poor pig was screaming for his life. So how’s that right? If you want to protest, protest peacefully.” Ashish also comments on the Apex Judiciary’s decision of euthanising terminally ill dogs, “If the dog has a serious illness like rabies and is in a lot of pain, with a doctor’s permission and in a peaceful manner, they should be euthanised. The apex court also spoke about the ABC or animal birth control which if done with correct procedures, can help bring down issues related to the stray dogs. Many times the process is wrong so the animals become subject to cruelty.” She even added that the strays should not be displaced as that will leave them confused. This is also an act of ill treatment. The occasion saw a large number of gatherers. According to the campaigners, being vegan is not just for protecting animals but also for the climate. Ashish explained, “If you see the name of our NGO, it is Animal Climate and Health. So we also talk about the impact of consuming animal products on the environment.” She gives an example of how methane gas is produced because of the dairy animals and how the food and resources to breed animals are so much that it affects the environment. The supporters who participated in the campaign said they also noticed many health benefits of going vegan. Anil Nagpal, a senior citizen and volunteer with the organisation said, “For many years I was going through ill health. I tried every treatment but nothing really helped much. But then someone convinced me to go vegan and since that time my health has improved drastically. After this many people in my circles who used to eat animal products have given up.” When asked what his protein sources are, he said, “I eat lentils and legumes. Vegetables also contain protein.” Ashish claimed that humans have an ego that makes them think they are above animals.

Finally, the Benchwarmer’s Redemption

Oh, joy of joys! In a cricketing universe where fast bowlers get bodyguards and batsmen get billion-dollar endorsements for breathing, we finally have a plot twist worthy of a Bollywood underdog flick. Kuldeep Yadav – that chinaman-spinning wizard who’s been collecting dust on India’s bench longer than a forgotten gym membership – has been unleashed. Not just any old spin, mind you, but a four-wicket demolition derby against the UAE in the Asia Cup opener on September 10, 2025. Who knew that after months of playing spectator to his own career, our boy could still turn a pitch into a graveyard? It’s almost enough to make you believe in karma. Or at least in the selectors’ occasional mercy.


Let’s rewind this tragicomedy for the uninitiated. Picture this: It’s 2017, and Kuldeep bursts onto the scene like a left-arm tornado in a saree shop. Hat-trick in his second ODI against Sri Lanka? Check. Dismantling Australia in Tests with googly grenades? Double check. The kid from Uttar Pradesh was the next big thing – or so we thought. Fast-forward through the haze of IPL auctions, where he’s bounced around like a ping-pong ball from Mumbai Indians (where he didn’t even play, because why waste a googly on the bench?) to Kolkata Knight Riders, and eventually to Delhi Capitals, where he finally got to terrorize batsmen for real. By 2024, he’s snagging 21 IPL wickets, helping India lift the T20 World Cup like it’s no big deal, and even sneaking into the Champions Trophy squad in 2025 for a victory lap. Hero status? Locked and loaded.


But ah, the cruel hand of Indian cricket selection. Enter the Axis of Evil: R Ashwin, the off-spin sage with more wisdom than Yoda; Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder unicorn who fields like a panther on espresso; and, let’s not forget, the eternal batting crisis that turns every spinner into a pinch-hitter. Kuldeep, with his deceptive wrong’uns and that flipper that sneaks up like a ninja fart, spent the summer of 2025 in England glued to the team hotel sofa. “Tough for me,” he admitted post-match, probably while practicing his autograph on unused scorecards. Tough? Darling, it was a full-on exile. While the team chased batting depth like it was the last slice of pizza at a party, Kuldeep was out there doing Yo-Yo tests and plotting world domination in the nets. Mental discipline? More like saintly patience. If restraint were an Olympic sport, he’d have gold, silver, and the participation trophy.


And yet, here we are, September 2025, Asia Cup kicking off, and suddenly – poof! – the benchwarmer gets the nod. Why now? Did the selectors draw straws? Lose a bet to the UAE skipper? Or finally realize that facing spin on subcontinental tracks is less fun than a root canal without anesthesia? Whatever the cosmic joke, Kuldeep didn’t just play; he pranced. Four for… well, whatever paltry total the UAE scraped to (57, if we’re being precise, because apparently, they mistook the pitch for a minefield). That wrong’un that kissed the pad on its way to Sanju Samson? Chef’s kiss. The UAE review that went poof because they were out of timeouts? Comedy gold. India chased it down faster than you can say “easy win,” but let’s be real – this was Kuldeep’s show. A four-fer in his first T20I since the 2024 World Cup final? It’s like watching a caged tiger finally get fed – raw, exhilarating, and a tad terrifying for the opposition.


Sarcasm aside (though, really, who needs it when reality writes better punchlines?), this is why we love cricket’s underbelly. In a sport obsessed with six-hitters who moonwalk after boundaries and pacers who grunt like they’re auditioning for a wrestling promo, Kuldeep reminds us that subtlety can be savage. His left-arm chinaman isn’t flashy like Warne’s theatrics – no theatrical appeals or staredowns here. It’s surgical: a flipper here, a googly there, turning batsmen into muppets who poke at shadows. After warming the bench through England’s green-top tedium, where seamers ruled and spinners prayed for rain, Kuldeep’s return feels like poetic justice. No more “batting depth” excuses – just pure, wristy wizardry on turning tracks where he was born to thrive.


Humor me for a second: Imagine the team WhatsApp group during those England sidelines. “Kuldeep, fancy a net session?” “Nah, mates, I’m busy perfecting my Netflix queue. Send pics if anyone gets a wicket.” Or the selectors’ huddle: “Ashwin’s injured? Jadeja’s batting? Quick, who was that spinner we buried in 2023?” Boom – resurrection. It’s hilariously human, this carousel of selection snubs, and Kuldeep’s grin post-match says it all: “I’ve waited this long; now watch me feast.”


So, hail to the chinaman king, finally off the naughty step. In an era where cricket’s become a batting blockbuster, Kuldeep’s comeback is the indie flick we didn’t know we needed – quirky, unexpected, and utterly devastating. May his bench days be a distant memory, replaced by hauls that leave opponents googly-eyed. India cricket, you chaotic beauty: occasionally, you get it right. And damn, does it feel good to cheer.


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

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