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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

Will Shreyas Iyer Crawl Back into the Good Books?

Shreyas Iyer – the cricketing equivalent of that friend who keeps getting invited to parties but then spends the whole night awkwardly nursing a drink in the corner. Once hailed as India’s middle-order messiah, Shreyas has now become the poster boy for the BCCI selectors’ favorite pastime: the art of the inexplicable snub. As of September 2025, with the Asia Cup squad announcement still fresh like a bad breakup, one can’t help but wonder: will this talented batsman ever regain the favor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India?


Shreyas burst onto the scene in 2021 like a firecracker at Diwali – debuting in all formats, scoring fifties on debut, and even captaining the side in ODIs and Tests. It was the stuff of Bollywood dreams: the underdog rising to glory. But oh, how the selectors love a plot twist. By late 2023, after a string of back injuries and a batting slump that made his average look like a sad puppy’s face (187 runs in 12 Test innings at 17), he was unceremoniously dropped from the Test team. Drop number one: the classic “form dip” excuse. Fair enough, you might say – cricket’s a results game. But wait, there’s more!


Enter 2024, the year Shreyas decided to test the BCCI’s loyalty by prioritizing IPL and international commitments over domestic cricket. Big mistake. The BCCI, in a move straight out of a petty soap opera, stripped him of his central contract. Ignore number one (or drop number two, depending on how you slice it): no pay packet for you, Mr. Iyer! Fans were baffled – here was a guy who’d led India to victories, yet he was treated like he’d forgotten to bow to the selection committee. Ishan Kishan joined him in contract exile for similar “crimes,” but while Kishan clawed his way back, Shreyas spent months in the wilderness, probably wondering if he’d accidentally offended the cricket gods by choosing the wrong brand of bat.


Fast-forward to April 2025, and huzzah! Shreyas regains his Grade B central contract, a modest comeback that felt like being promoted from economy to business class – still not first, but better than steerage. Relief all around, right? Wrong. Just a month later, in May 2025, the selectors drop the hammer again: he’s omitted from the England tour squad after another lean patch. Drop number three: because apparently, one good domestic stint isn’t enough to erase the ghosts of past failures. At this point, Shreyas must be thinking, “Guys, I’m batting for KKR in IPL, scoring boundaries like it’s going out of style – what’s a man gotta do?” But no, the committee, led by the ever-enigmatic Ajit Agarkar, decided it was time for “fresh blood” or whatever euphemism they use for “we’re bored of you.”


And then, the pièce de résistance – or should I say, the snub de la snub – arrives in August 2025. Despite a stellar IPL 2025 where he smashed 604 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 175.07 (that’s code for “I’m on fire, selectors!”), Shreyas is left out of the Asia Cup squad. Drop number four, and this one’s a doozy. Fans exploded on social media, calling it “dirty politics” and “shame on BCCI.” Experts like Irfan Pathan backed him, saying there’s “no doubt” about his class, yet here he is, snubbed harder than a blind date who shows up in flip-flops. The omission was so shocking it made the list of “5 shocking exclusions,” right alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shreyas himself broke his silence recently, admitting it’s “frustrating” – understatement of the century, buddy. Imagine training your life away, only to be told, “Nah, we’re good with the other middle-order options who… well, exist.”


So, tallying it up: at least four major drops or ignores in the last two years alone – from Tests in 2023, central contract in 2024, England tour in 2025, and now Asia Cup. That’s not a career; that’s a revolving door with a “No Entry” sign for Shreyas. The selectors seem to treat him like a yo-yo: up for a bit, then down faster than India’s stock market on a bad day. Is it form? Politics? Or just the BCCI’s way of keeping things spicy? One can’t help but chuckle at the irony – a player who’s captained India A multiple times (like the recent multi-day series against Australia A in September 2025, where he’s leading despite the snub) is somehow not “ready” for the big leagues. Meanwhile, rumors swirl of a possible Test comeback against West Indies. Oh, joy – another chance to be dropped!


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

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