World Cup winning U19 India captain Unmukt Chand announces retirement
Mumbai, Aug 13: Unmukt Chand, who had led India to U-19 World Cup title triumph but struggled to replicate his success at the senior level, on Friday announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
Chand, 28, announced the decision on social media with a series of tweets and a lengthy note along with his some memorable videos.
In all probability, Chand will play in a T20 league in the United States, like his U19 World Cup winning team-mate Smit Patel.
To compete there, he needed to announce his retirement since the BCCI does not allow its registered players to compete in foreign T20 Leagues.
"Though a part of me is not at peace with the way things have unfolded in the last few years, I still choose to see the silver lining and with fond memories bid adieu to BCCI and seek better opportunities around the world," Unmukt wrote in the lengthy note.
Chand, a right-handed batsman and off-break bowler, who led India to 2012 U19 World Cup win, soon became a household name in the country.
Chand was the 'Man of the Match' in the final, as his 111 not out ahd shaped India's victory.
"Cricket is a universal game and even though the means might change, the end goal is still the same to play cricket at the highest level, the former U-19 skipper further wrote.
He also thanked the BCCI and described winning the U-19 World Cup as the biggest moment of his life.
"Big thanks to BCCI for giving cricketers like me a platform to express and showcase our skills through so many camps, age group and senior board tournaments and the IPL.
"Personally, there have been quite a few glorious moments in my cricketing journey in India. Winning the U-19 world cup for India is one of the biggest moments of my life.
"It was a special feeling to lift the cup as a captain and bring smiles to so many Indians across the world. I can never forget that feeling. Also, leading India A on numerous occasions and winning various bi-lateral and tri-series, are etched in my memory forever," Chand further wrote in the note.
After his U19 exploits, former Australia skipper Ian Chappell had written in one his columns that he should be included in the Indian team.
For Chand things happened at a break-neck speed as he landed a big television commercial with the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
The Delhi-born top-order batsman wrote his World Cup memoir, something that had even amused former India captain Rahul Dravid.
But there were also many instances in his life, which did not go down well with former cricketers.
He once took a break from India A camp to attend a talk show seminar of a private channel which had prompted former World Cup winning India skipper Kapil Dev to criticize him on the stage.
Dev's team-mate and former chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil wanted him to be sent to Zimbabwe in 2015, but he somehow missed the bus.
Chand, who played for Delhi and later also captained Uttarakhand, was given chances for India A and Delhi but couldn't crack the red-ball code despite a memorable 151 against Railways on a seaming track when he was still a student of Modern School, Barakhamba.
Chand played 67 first-class matches, amassing 3,379 runs, with eight hundreds and 16 fifties. However he never had that break-through Ranji or IPL season that could have catapulted him to the next level.
T1- On to the next innings of my life #JaiHind?? pic.twitter.com/fEEJ9xOdlt
— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) August 13, 2021
T2- On to the next innings of my life #JaiHind?? pic.twitter.com/8yK7QBHtUZ
— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) August 13, 2021
T3- On to the next innings of my life #JaiHind?? pic.twitter.com/w84kWeCqhM
— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) August 13, 2021
T4- On to the next innings of my life #JaiHind??@BCCI pic.twitter.com/z0VxnS4rwG
— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) August 13, 2021
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Padma awardees in Odisha to receive monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000
Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (PTI): The Odisha government will provide a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000 to each of the Padma awardees of the state from the current month.
The Odia Language Literature and Culture Department issued a notification to this effect on Thursday.
In view of their outstanding contribution to society in various fields, the state government has decided to provide an honorarium of Rs 30,000 to the Padma awardees, the notification said.
All the Padma awardees of the state, who are alive, will receive the honorarium through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode from January 2025, it said.
The government has asked collectors and culture officers of all districts to submit details of the Padma award winners (who are alive) including the district collector's certificate, bank account details, IFSC code to the Directorate of Odia, Language, Literature and Culture as soon as possible.
In March last year, the previous BJD government had announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 for the Padma awardees from Odisha. However, it was not implemented yet, an official of the department said.
In November last year, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had decided to provide Rs 30,000 to the Padma awardees of the state. Accordingly, the formal notification was published on Thursday, he said.
The Padma Award was introduced in 1954. The award is given to personalities for their outstanding contribution in the fields of arts, education, science, sports, social work, public service, medicine, literature, etc.
As per the Padma Awards website of the Ministry of Home Affairs, till now, the President has conferred Padma awards on 105 eminent personalities from Odisha, which includes 90 Padma Shri, 11 Padma Bhushan and four Padma Vibhushan.
