Monthly Archives: May 2021

“Hoping for more opportunities to prove myself in the IPL” – Karnataka mystery spinner KC Cariappa (Exclusive)

KC Cariappa was roped in by the Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2021.

In February 2015, when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) refused to put their paddle down and looked destined to sign Karnataka’s KC Cariappa, it seemed like the stars were finally set to align for the mystery spinner.

For a man who was yet to play a First-Class or List-A game, Cariappa was the talk of the town after the Knight Riders landed the final bid at ₹2.4 Crore, 24 times his base price of ₹10 lakh. But for those devoted to the Karnataka Premier League (KPL), Cariappa’s talent was already there to see.

KKR’s investment in Cariappa came as a result of the spinner troubling the likes of Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa and Jacques Kallis among others in the nets. A ban slapped on Sunil Narine meant Cariappa was the immediate beneficiary, with KKR turning towards the spinner for a quick replacement.

However, things didn’t exactly go to plan for Cariappa, with the spinner forced to bear the onslaught from Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers in his debut IPL game. That he foxed De Villiers to scalp his maiden IPL wicket did provide a means of consolation, but his figures (1/28 from 2 overs) forced him onto the benches for the remainder of IPL 2015.

Since then, Cariappa hasn’t had a chance to feature much in the IPL. 5 matches in the 2016 season, one less game in 2017, just a solitary match in IPL 2019 sandwiched between him being unsold in 2018 and 2020, and half a season on the bench for the Rajasthan Royals in 2021.

There’s a fair argument to say Cariappa certainly hasn’t enjoyed the rub of the green, with mystery spinners not ubiquitous in modern-day cricket, at least in India. Yet, with age on his side and IPL teams in recent times willing to hinge their bets on relatively unknown talents, Cariappa is willing to take whatever’s happened on the chin.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Cariappa spoke about his IPL journey so far, admiration for Gambhir, learning from Ajantha Mendis‘ bowling videos and more.

“I haven’t got too many chances in the IPL. When I got selected in 2015, my name did the rounds, but I didn’t get too many matches. ABD was my debut wicket, but after that I didn’t play, Narine came back and I lost my chance. Even the few seasons I played for Punjab, I played only a few games. I feel there wasn’t a proper balance, even in my performance.”

“But like everyone says, more the matches, higher the confidence. I still remember the first match I played, there were 1 lakh people in the Eden Gardens crowd, it was surreal. I would love to get more matches in the seasons to come and re-live those moments.”

Cariappa’s rather serendipitous introduction to cricket was preceded by his interest in playing hockey, further pushed by his family’s roots in Coorg. Often referred to as the ‘Nursery of Hockey’, Coorg’s Kodava Hockey Festival is well known across the world, and it was only natural that Cariappa found a liking for the sport.

At around 19 years of age, though, life took a turn for the spinner. Cariappa walked through the gates of one of Bengaluru’s most famous cricket clubs, the Jawahar Cricket Club, seeking to transition from tennis ball to leather-ball cricket.

A fortuitous session in the nets handed Cariappa an opportunity to shift from fast bowling to mystery spin, but the art of perfecting the variations with the leather ball did not come easily for the Kodava lad.

“When I first shifted to spin, I didn’t even know it would be mystery (laughs). When I started bowling spin, my seniors told me it was coming nicely off my hand. I started watching a lot of Ajantha Mendis’ videos, at that time Narine hadn’t made a name for himself yet. Once I started bowling well, people started calling me Mendis, that’s a good memory.”

Cariappa’s early years of cricket with the tennis ball were restricted to him trying to stifle batsmen with pace, but once he got the hang of bowling spin, things started to fall in place for him.

However, by his own admission, it needed a lot more than just some tutorials on the internet.https://3d5eb348d2dd17a3b54d55303c13dbf4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

“It is very easy to bowl a carrom ball with the tennis ball. I didn’t have too much practice bowling with the leather ball, it was very hard despite me practicing for 2-3 hours a day. I then started watching Narine’s bowling videos, and I was shocked by the variations he had. Nowadays, times have changed, there are different types of mystery spinners as well!”

“People told me I haven’t been playing regularly for Karnataka when I went unsold in the IPL auction” – Cariappa

It’s no small truth that most of the opportunities in the IPL are a byproduct of good exhibitions in domestic circuit, even across formats. In this regard, Karnataka have boasted of probably the biggest names over the past few years, with the likes of KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Mayank Agarwal and most recently, Devdutt Padikkal becoming household names through the cash-rich league.

The aforementioned players, though, have had a lot of opportunities to prove themselves for Karnataka, while that’s a luxury Cariappa has missed out on.

The spinner has featured in quite a few Karnataka squads since his maiden Ranji Trophy call-up in 2014, but the presence of established players such as K Gowtham, S Gopal and J Suchith has forced him to remain on the sidelines.

What’s more, Cariappa’s economy rate of just 5.02 played a big role in Karnataka’s 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali title win, the state’s maiden T20 trophy victory. In 11 matches of the tournament, he picked up 10 wickets and was hit for just a single six, underlining the impact he had that season.

“I feel the main problem is that I’ve played only in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Even there I’ve performed well, my economy rate is around 5-6 RPO. In 2016 KPL, I was the highest wicket-taker. Karnataka has some really good players like Gowtham, Shreyas, Suchith and so understandably my chances are less.”

“But the problem is even if you miss a year of domestic cricket, the chances of you getting picked in the IPL is less, and I have faced this issue a few times. When I went unsold, people said because I didn’t play for Karnataka, I wasn’t picked.”

“Gambhir wouldn’t compromise on the field, he was a very good captain” – Cariappa on his time with KKR

Cariappa spent just one season with the Knight Riders in IPL 2015, but it took only those many months for him to have some fond memories of the franchise. Cariappa reserved special praise for his KKR skipper Gambhir, who was his first captain in the IPL.

“Gambhir was a very good captain. He was a little strict in terms of bowling discipline, and effort on the field was something he wouldn’t compromise. Outside the field, he didn’t bother you. On the field, you had to give your 100% and that’s what I loved.”

The 27-year-old also had some words of praise for Sanju Samson, who led the Royals in IPL 2021.

“Samson was really good, he is always calm. When I played U-19, he also played that same season for Kerala. The way he captained the side in IPL 2021, he always ensured the players were brimming with confidence.”

“The RR management treats domestic and international players with the same respect”

As for his maiden season with his third IPL franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, Cariappa lamented the temporary cancellation of the tournament owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he had some positive things to say about the team.

“RR look at every player the same, there are no assumptions. Ben Stokes is such a warm person, he would come and talk to us while we would eat. Buttler would talk the least, he is always smiling, and when you see him you get really positive vibes. Even in the practice sessions, whether you are international or domestic, it didn’t matter, we were all looked after very well.”

He delved a little deeper into how his Karnataka teammate, Gopal, was at his pranking best during quarantine periods of IPL 2021.

“Shreyas is a prank master. When he was in quarantine, he would call up everyone through the hotel phone. He’s a very jolly guy. I was close with Miller and Tewatia in the RR camp, I have played with them before. This season was turning out to be good, hopefully when it resumes we should be in a good position to start off well.”

As for the opportunities that could come knocking at his door in the months or years to come, Cariappa is confident of making the most of what comes his way. There might be some mystery shrouding the future of domestic cricket or even the IPL, but for the talented spinner, there isn’t a shadow of doubt enveloping his final goal: give his 100% on the field, carpe diem and don the national jersey in the near future.

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Cricket> IPL 2021> Exclusive / by Prasen Moudgal , Expert Columnist / May 25th, 2021

Sandalwood actor Bhuvan Ponnanna distributes food kits to the needy across Kodagu

Through his four-year-old ‘Bhuvanam Foundation’ and initiative ‘Feed Karnataka’, Bhuvan with support from actress Harshika Poonacha handed over 200 food kits to the Municipal Council Commissioner.

Food kits were distributed in Madikeri Mann’s Compound Ground on Tuesday (Photo | Special arrangement)

Madikeri :

It is not common for an actor to share his mobile number across social media. But Bhuvan Ponnanna, the Sandalwood actor and native of Kodagu, has done just that even as he is working relentlessly to extend a helping hand to the needy during the pandemic.

Through his four-year-old ‘Bhuvanam Foundation’ and initiative ‘Feed Karnataka’, Bhuvan with support from actress Harshika Poonacha on Tuesday handed over 200 food kits to the Madikeri City Municipal Council Commissioner Ramdas. These kits will be handed over to needy families across the city. Further, the home guards, police and a few journalists also received food kits from the foundation.

The actor has also taken a unique initiative where food kits and medicines will be home delivered to needy residents across Kodagu. Two vehicles equipped with food kits and medicines will start doing the rounds across Madikeri, Gonikoppal and Virajpet areas from May 26 and the needy can avail food kits from the foundation following verification. The medicines will be supplied with display of prescriptions only. To avail the services, the eligible beneficiaries can contact the helpline number 9945008004.

Also, the initiative helps local farmers by buying vegetables from them and distributing it to the needy along with the food kits. Many donors including doctors have donated to the foundation and the organisation has so far distributed over 2000 food kits to the poor across Karnataka. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Pragna GR, Express News Service / May 25th, 2021

Obituary – Sannuvanda Srinivas Chengappa

Sannuvanda Srinivas Chengappa (60), President of Virajpet Taluk Journalists Association and a resident of Thithimathi, passed away this morning at a hospital following brief illness.

He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, one son and a host of relatives and friends. Last rites were performed at Thithimathi today.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituary / May 20th, 2021

Nidhi Subbaiah Opens Up About Her Bigg Boss Kannada 8 Journey, Says The House Has Taught Her Some Life Lessons

Nidhi Subbaiah, who started her career in Sandalwood, surprised many with her decision to take part in Bigg Boss Kannada this season. Known for having acted in films like Anna Bond and Pancharangi, the actress has now revealed in an interview that her main intention to participate in the reality show was to let people know that she is right here and not in Mumbai.

Nidhi told Cinema Express, “I came back last year before the lockdown. Before that, I was in New York. I am currently in Mysuru and plan to shift to Bengaluru to stay closer to the film industry.” For the unversed, the actress had moved to Mumbai a few years ago after she got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.

Nidhi added in her interview that Bigg Boss Kannada 8 has given her a different kind of fame as people across Karnataka have connected with her on a personal level. She also shared that the show has given her seven good friends, with whom she plans to stay connected with.

On being quizzed about some key takeaways from her BB experience, Nidhi said, “Bigg Boss house has taught me some life lessons — how to deal with pressure, anger and frustration. I learnt to be disciplined — sleeping and waking up on time, something that had gone haphazard previously. I’ve also learnt to cook and eat simple food without having to order in junk food all the time. It has made a difference to my lifestyle, and I hope to continue these habits.”

Nidhi, who was last seen alongside Shivarajkumar in Ayushman Bhava, is now looking forward to her next project. She has signed her horror film, which is being bankrolled by Lohith H’s Friday Films. The yet-untitled film is being helmed by debutant directors Pavan and Prasad.

source: http://www.filmibeat.com / Filmi Beat / Home> Kannada> News / by Waiz Ahmed / May 19th, 2021

Robin Uthappa reveals how Venkatesh Prasad inspired him to make a comeback to the Indian team

Robin Uthappa

Out-of-favour Team India batter Robin Uthappa has revealed how former fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad inspired him to make a comeback to the national side back in 2007.

The right-handed batter from Karnataka has represented his country in 46 ODIs and 13 T20Is since making his debut in 2006.

Uthappa made it to the Indian side on the back of consistent performances in domestic cricket. He was soon rewarded with a place in the Indian team as a replacement for Virender Sehwag in the final ODI against England. He made the most of the opportunity by scoring 86 runs, the highest by an Indian on debut at the time.

That conversation with Venky helped me regain focus and get runs: Robin Uthappa

However, he soon hit rock-bottom and was left out of the squad after bagging a duck against West Indies. Robin Uthappa returned to domestic cricket for Karnataka, who was coached by former fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad back then.

During a chat with the Grade Cricketer, the 35-year-old revealed how a conversation with the coach helped him regain his focus and regain his form again.

“I scored a 50 in the first innings of the second game of the season and I was very happy with myself,” Robin Uthappa said during a podcast with the Grade Cricketer. “And then he called me to his room and he said, ‘Rob want to have a conversation with you.’

“He showed me the highest run-scorers list of that season. He said you are number 47. He said, ‘you are an Indian cricketer who has had a great start to international cricket but you are at 47th place. Is that where you want to be when the season ends?”

That kind of keyed me in to really focus and get runs. I got a hundred in the second innings and ended up scoring 850 runs in the season – top scored in the country with 4-5 hundreds and simply because of that one conversation with Venky (Venkatesh Prasad),” Robin Uthappa said.

That season, Robin Uthappa racked up 857 runs from just seven matches, making it impossible to keep him out of the national side. He was also part of the squad that won the World T20 in 2007. However, another poor patch in 2008, in which he only managed 179 runs from 11 matches, led to his downfall in international cricket.

He went onto make a comeback in 2014 following another dream run in domestic cricket but failed to replicate it on the biggest stage. The veteran batter was recently seen in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) plying his trade for Chennai Super Kings. He had to warm the benches in the presence of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis at the top of the batting order.

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / Sports Keeda / Home> Cricket> News / by Ankush Das / May 20th, 2021

Coffee blossoms in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan mountains

The coffee tree flowering process begins in late March ahead of the rainy season. The process takes between three to four days. (Supplied)

The coffee tree flowering process begins in late March ahead of the rainy season

Jeddah :

Coffee farms in the mountainous governorates of the Jazan region were covered in white after the flowering of the coffee trees, exhibiting signs of abundant production during this year’s season.


Coffee production is an important economic sector in the region, and enjoys special care by the Kingdom’s leadership. It is part of the Jazan region’s heritage, and is a crucial source of income for the residents of the mountainous areas, which are the homeland of the Khawlani coffee beans, whose production has increased by 70 percent in recent years.


The Saudi Press Agency’s camera caught pictures of the agricultural terraces in Al-Dayer Bani Malik blossoming with white coffee flowers that have a wonderful smell among the magnificent backdrop of the mountainous landscapes.

The coffee tree flowering process begins in late March ahead of the rainy season. The process takes between three to four days.


The flowering process is completed and coffee beans are formed and enter a six-month period until being harvested. This is considered a crucial period, as the coffee trees need to be irrigated with rainfalls in a timely way, while receiving adequate care from the farmers.


The flowering period is critical as it provides the farmers with an indicator about the volume of crops, according to the strength or weakness of the trees and the intensity of flowers on the branches, which entails further consideration by farmers, to ensure having abundant crops during harvest.

source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home / by SPA / May 21st, 2021

Notes of A Life in Music

A Bengaluru organisation is building a multimedia archive of tribal music in Karnataka, starting with the Kudiyas of Kodagu.

Still from the video: Who are these Kudiyas?

Bengaluru :

A life without songs sung to the beats of drums is probably unimaginable for the Kudiya people of the Western Ghats. “We sing about the plants and trees in the forests, the roots, stones, snakes, and elephants… There is a rhythm to each song, and we play the drum to that rhythm,” Kudiya musician Sharada Somaiah says in an interview with Bengaluru-based Gobal Kulture, which is taking the first steps towards building an archive of tribal music in Karnataka.

On April 13, Global Kulture released a 2.50-minute video titled “Hidden Sounds: Who are these Kudiyas?” on its YouTube channel. They’ve started with the Kudiya community, but Arun Sivag, percussionist and founder of Global Kulture, says the idea is to collect audio and video recordings of songs, interviews and dances of artistes from 40 communities (the state government lists 50 Scheduled Tribes), and compile it into the Budakattu Music Archive, a partial multimedia ethnography of tribal music and culture.

“It took one-and-a-half years of research to figure out how to go about this,” says Arun. This includes conversations with several people – including playback singer and co-founder of Global Kulture, Sangeetha Ravindranath, and Sumanto Mondal, who is editorial and communications partner at the organisation. However, the idea of the archive comes from Arun’s own experiences, and thoughts about music and musicians. “I always saw musicians on the street, and wondered why they weren’t on stage. Folk artistes are not given a stage, but they are the torch-bearers of music,” says the 29-year-old.

pic: a shot

In 2019, he began visiting government offices looking for a list of tribal musicians, and realised that the government didn’t really have one. But the idea stuck, and he came in contact with folk and tribal art expert Srinivas Murthy, who worked with Sharada’s father decades ago. With the little footage they collected in February at Sharada’s house in Tora village (Virajpet, Kodagu), they know they’ve barely scratched the surface. “One would need a whole life to understand their music. We are doing what the government is supposed to do,” says Arun.

The Kudiyas’ culture is oral — their songs and stories are the historical record of their existence. “They sing songs while working, after getting back from work, when there is a birth or a death, during festivals… They even have a song about the daughters of the tribe and how they wish the best for them,” says Sangeetha, who is working on translating the songs from Kodava to English.

The archive will also have interviews of the artistes, such as the one in which Sharada talks about the community’s origin story, and why they call themselves Kudiyas, says Mondal, who is translating her interviews from Kannada to English. They are looking for institutional funding that will allow them to retain creative independence. But for now, they are using their own resources to fund the project. Arun put in the stipend he got from OneBeat, a US government fellowship.

A part of that was used as honorarium for the artistes. “We are artists too. We want to pay them for their work. Right now, the only opportunities they have are annual performances at Vidhana Soudha and Ravindra Kalakshetra (auditorium in Bengaluru). When the government calls, these are the people who get the peanuts,” Arun says. Sharada’s earnings are paltry and not steady, like many artistes.

She pretty much kept the music of her community alive by teaching younger generations, but knows survival is at stake without economic opportunity. In the trailer, Sharada talks about her “biggest dream”. “…If our art is to survive, the government and other organisations must help us get a good platform, give us respect. Only if this happens will our music become a livelihood for us and for our children, and only this way will our art survive.”

Arun too has big dreams. He eventually wants tribal musicians to get the recognition and remuneration they deserve. “We want to build a not-for-profit artist management system for them. They should be treated just like any other artiste.”

Preserving history
Global Kulture aims to collect audio and video recordings of songs, interviews and 
dances of artists from 40 communities and compile it into the Budakattu Music Archive.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Anisha Sheth, Express News Service / May 23rd, 2021

COVID-19: Kodagu gets medical aid from U.S.-based doctor

Medical help is pouring in for Kodagu, not just locally but also from overseas, for its fight against COVID-19.

With medical oxygen becoming vital for saving the lives of those battling the infection, Chottera Shobha Tuttu, a psychiatrist of Kodagu origin who is settled in New Jersey, and the United States’ gofundme.org have joined hands to support the battle against the virus in the district.

The 5-litre and 10-litre oxygen concentrators donated by Dr. Tuttu and gofundme.org were handed over to the district COVID-19 hospital in Madikeri on Sunday. Cariappa, Dean of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Sunnavunda Kaverappa of Napoklu village, and doctors from the institute were present when KIMS received the equipment.

It was thanks to the efforts of retired IAS officer K. Monnappa that Dr. Tuttu, who belongs to Guyya village in Siddapura, offered help to Kodagu.

In a note released by the Information Department, Madikeri, Dr. Kaverappa said doctors in the U.S., including Dr. Tuttu, had created a WhatsApp group and discussed with the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner ways to help the district. Accordingly, the oxygen concentrators were donated.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – May 23rd, 2021

Critical Equipment, Free Food Donated To COVD Facility In Kodagu

Mysore/Mysuru:

The 30-bed dedicated free COVID healthcare centre established by Lopamudra Medical Centre (LMC) and Karuna Trust at Gonikoppal in South Kodagu has been receiving donations in kind from donors and philanthropists. 

Mysuru-based Skanray Technologies has donated critical high-tech equipment to treat virus-infected patients at all the 30 beds of the hospital. Managing Director of Skanray Vishwaprasad Alva got to know about the noble cause and has voluntarily come forward with donations and has been a pillar of strength for this zero-billing facility, said Dr. Mukkatira Amrit Nanaiah, Head of Lopamudra Medical Centre. 

The Puthari Farmer Producer Company Limited has come forward to offer free food to the patients till their stay in the hospital.

The food will include three meals a day and snacks. “They have agreed to provide all the materials required to supply healthy and nutritious meals to patients and have also offered to provide their vehicle for our use till the pandemic lasts. These contributions made by the company President Subaiah, Board of Directors, CEO and team are worth emulating,”  Dr. Amrit Nanaiah added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 17th, 2021

I want to continue to act as long as I can: Nidhi Subbaiah

Nidhi Subbaiah, who started her career in Sandalwood, got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.

Sandalwood actress Nidhi Subbaiah

Nidhi Subbaiah begins her day with a song, which has been her ritual post waking up. This is something she has got used to after staying in the Bigg Boss house for 72 days.

The main intention to participate in the reality show for the actor, who has acted in films like Anna Bond and Pancharangi, was to let people know that she is right here and not in Mumbai.

“I came back last year before the lockdown. Before that I was in New York. I am currently in Mysuru and plan to shift to Bengaluru to stay closer to the film industry,” says Nidhi, adding that the Bigg Boss Kannada show has given her a different kind of fame, and people have connected with her on a personal level.

“It is overwhelming to hear from people across Karnataka calling me the ‘Pancharangi Girl’.”

“Especially in Kodagu, they now consider me as ‘Nangada Nidhi’ (our girl). Moreover, this Bigg Boss house has taught me some life lessons — how to deal with pressure, anger and frustration. I learnt to be disciplined — sleeping and waking up on time, something that had gone haphazard previously. I’ve also learnt to cook and eat simple food without having to order in junk food all the time. It has made a difference to my lifestyle, and I hope to continue these habits,” she says, adding that the show also gave her seven good friends, whom she hopes to stay connected with.

The actor, who started her career in Sandalwood, got an opportunity to work in a handful of Hindi films.

However, Nidhi says that she was never attracted by Bombay and the only reason for her move to Hindi films was because she wasn’t getting the kind of work she wanted in Kannada.

“When I was shooting for Anna Bond in Bangalore was when I signed two Hindi films. I felt Bollywood was calling, and as an actor, I thought I should give it a try. I did 6 to 7 films, which helped me expand,” she says.

Back to Sandalwood, Nidhi — who was last seen in Shivarajkumar- starrer Ayushman Bhava that featured her in a pivotal role — is now waiting to begin her next project. This will be her first horror film, which will be bankrolled by Lohith H’s Friday Films, and will be helmed by debutant directors Pavan and Prasad.

“It is a fantastic script, and can’t wait to begin,” says Nidhi, adding, “Staying inside in the Bigg Boss house, I had no idea about the Covid goings- on. I was planning to begin shooting post my exit from the house. We were in for a shock when we were shown clippings of what’s happening. Now, we have to wait for the situation to come under control to start any entertainment activities,” she says.

Nidhi, who loves acting, says given an opportunity she would like to sign 100 films and act till she can.

“I love acting, and the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut’ is like a moment of meditation for me. It is my favourite time when I forget everything and get into the skin of the character,” says the actor.

“I hope to be a part of the role that Taapsee Pannu plays in Thappad, or Pink,” she adds. The audience as well as the film fraternity have watched Nidhi up and close in the Bigg Boss house. Will it make a difference to the kind of roles she will be offered from now on?

“My director friends who watched me on the show say I was bold, straightforward, and didn’t use tactics. That’s how I am in real life — frank and bold. Now that people have seen me, directors too know what I am capable of. This might help fetch roles that fit my personality,” she says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by Express News Service / May 18th, 2021