Indian Shooting stalwart and coach Jaspal Rana passes away at 49

New Delhi [india], June 12 (ANI): Former India shooter and renowned coach Jaspal Rana passed away in New Delhi on Friday after battling health complications. He was admitted to Max Hospital in Saket, South Delhi, where he breathed his last, hospital officials confirmed.

Rana had reportedly fallen ill while returning from the ISSF World Cup in Munich on Thursday and later underwent a medical procedure in Delhi. His passing comes as a major blow to Indian shooting, where he played a transformative role both as an athlete and a coach. sos-zagle.org.pl

One of India’s most decorated shooters, Rana leaves behind a remarkable legacy spanning more than three decades. He remains India’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete, having won an extraordinary 15 medals — nine gold, four silver and two bronze — across the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 editions of the Games.

His achievements extended well beyond the Commonwealth stage. Rana secured four gold medals and one silver at the Asian Games, including a gold medal at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games and a historic haul of three gold medals at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

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At the 1994 World Shooting Championships in Milan, he clinched gold while setting a record score. He also equalled the world record in the 25m Centre Fire Pistol event with an aggregate score of 590 during the 2006 Asian Games.

Known for his grit and determination, Rana famously won three gold medals in Doha despite competing with a high fever, a feat that remains one of the most celebrated achievements in Indian shooting history.

After retiring from competition, Rana devoted himself to coaching and talent development. As a junior national coach, he identified and nurtured several future stars, including Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary.

Despite a widely publicised fallout with Bhaker before the Tokyo Olympics, the two later reunited, with Rana playing a key role in her successful campaign that culminated in two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

At the time of his death, Rana was serving as India’s high-performance coach for pistol events. His contributions as both champion shooter and mentor have left an enduring mark on Indian sport. (ANI)

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For 189 deliveries, a promising cricketer locked horns against a great attack, fought with his inner demons, and eventually ended up as the shining light at the colosseum of MCG in the Boxing Day Test. It turns out to be the one evocative memory of Nitish Kumar Reddy that millions of Indian cricket fans would carry forward for generations. But his detractors could very well argue with the following line: what has Nitish done while facing the rest of his 502 offerings in Test cricket? And that point could be extended to the shorter formats of the game as well.

At the moment, there is no fitting riposte to the hard numbers on display. However, sometimes, to locate the answer, one has to peel the outside layers of the black box. And that is where you unearth the name, ‘Project Nitish Reddy.’ Unfortunately, India have a dearth of quality pace-bowling all-rounders. Hardik Pandya, the experienced campaigner, has filled that role with distinction in limited-overs cricket. Just that, at the age of 32, Hardik isn’t getting any younger, and he has been increasingly troubled by soft tissue injuries.

Meanwhile, from the ‘Project Nitish’ point of view, the speedgun flashing speeds in the range of mid 130s to low 140s in the 2026 IPL would have boosted the confidence of not just the all-rounder but also the Indian think-tank. Incidentally, just before that tournament, the all-rounder tweaked a few parts of his biomechanics with the help of the renowned fast-bowling coach Steffan Jones.

Nitish bowling at higher speeds could give him a flicker of hope of surviving in the abridged versions of the game. With Nitish having the traits to move the ball, there is also a small window for the Indian management to try him as a new-ball bowler in the Afghanistan ODIs.

In an imaginary debate, Nitish’s detractors could throw out one more rebuttal: Hardik Pandya extracts a little more bounce from a slightly fuller length and possesses the required variations. There is a surrebuttal too: the ‘Project Nitish’ needs to be painted with different colours on a large canvas. In a nutshell, Nitish’s skills would improve only by bowling more overs. And a rather low-key series versus Afghanistan might act as the right kind of laboratory to test the hypothesis.

India have important assignments ahead of them, including the Test series in New Zealand and the 50-over World Cup next year. The Indian backroom staff would still bank on Hardik’s fitness for the World Cup.

The skeptics, however, would point out the long list of injuries suffered by the all-rounder. And that is where the Afghanistan series could prove to be the missing road for Nitish to reach his destined destination. Despite the cacophony of sounds from his critics, Nitish’s one and only mantra for the moment would be – never quit on your dreams.

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Debasis Sen, Kolkata

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to be the biggest drawcard during the upcoming two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast. The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian side will travel to Ireland before embarking on their tour of England. Graeme West, Head of Cricket at Cricket Ireland’s High-Performance Centre, is excited about the possibility of Vaibhav making his T20I debut during the series.

Meanwhile, Cricket Ireland continues to closely monitor the situation in areas affected by the ongoing community unrest. With the India-Ireland T20I series approaching, both the BCCI and Cricket Ireland are keeping a close watch on developments in Belfast and they remain in regular contact regarding the situation. In this exclusive interaction with Revsportz , Graeme West shares his views on the upcoming T20I series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, summer of cricket in Ireland and more.

How do you look at the prospect of hosting the reigning T20 World Cup champions?

Graeme West: Very much so. It’s certainly one of the highlights of our summer here in Ireland. When we were working with the BCCI to arrange these games, we understood that India has a very busy schedule over the next few months. When we finally managed to get everything confirmed, we were all very excited. We’re really looking forward to hosting India.

Can you tell us about the busy summer of Cricket Ireland?

Graeme West: For several reasons, we haven’t been able to play as much 50-over cricket as we would have liked. Looking ahead, 2027 is extremely important because of the ODI World Cup and the qualification process, which is likely to take place in the first quarter of 2027. The more 50-over matches we can play, the better prepared we’ll be. That’s why we opted for a five-match ODI series against Afghanistan rather than a shorter series involving multiple formats.

It’s really the beginning of our preparation for what we hope will be a World Cup campaign next year. Regarding the New Zealand Test match, while the result was disappointing, we were delighted to host New Zealand for the first time in a Test match in Ireland. Given our limited opportunities in Test cricket, it’s important for us to measure ourselves against the best teams in the world. New Zealand have consistently been among the strongest Test sides, both at home and away.

Their performances in India were particularly impressive, and they adapted very well to the conditions in Belfast. We don’t get to play enough red-ball cricket, so there were plenty of lessons for our players to take away from that match. The rest of our summer is focused primarily on white-ball cricket. Alongside the Afghanistan series, we’re also hopeful of launching our first Euro franchise tournament in August and September, with Belfast-based and Dublin-based teams among the six participating sides. We currently have domestic T20 cricket underway, which will help us prepare for the India series. We’re using those matches as an important stepping stone ahead of the two T20Is.

There is a lot of excitement around teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is expected to make his debut for the Indian senior team in Ireland…

Graeme West: We followed the IPL very closely and saw how well he performed. It certainly felt like there was a good chance he would be selected. His inclusion definitely adds extra profile and attention to the series. Playing against the world champions is already a major challenge, and having a young player in such good form only increases that challenge. It will also increase public interest and media attention around the games. Our analysts will undoubtedly be working hard to develop plans for him before he arrives in Belfast.

Will the excitement surrounding a player like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have any impact on ticket sales or promotional efforts?

Graeme West: The interest generated by India’s visit was already significant before his selection. Ticket sales reflected that. However, if any tickets remain available, his inclusion will certainly create even more demand. We’re expecting full houses for both matches, which is fantastic for our players. One of our challenges is creating the kind of atmosphere and pressure that players experience at World Cups. Playing in front of packed crowds helps our players learn to handle those situations. We’re looking forward to these two games on many different levels.

Is there any disappointment that fans won’t get to see Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, given that they’ve retired from T20 internationals?

Graeme West: We’re simply grateful to the BCCI for bringing India to Ireland. We know that whichever players are selected, India will field a very strong side. Our players watch the IPL and follow these cricketers closely. India have been exceptionally successful, and we know the challenge ahead of us. Whether it’s the first-choice players or the next generation, India remains one of the strongest teams in the world. We’ll embrace that challenge.

The last time India toured Ireland, the matches were played at The Village in Malahide. Was it a conscious decision to host this series in Belfast?

Graeme West: Yes, several factors influenced that decision. One was the scheduling of the Euro T20 Premier League and commitments we had already made regarding venues. Another challenge was that Malahide hosts several large concerts during the same period. These events attract between 15,000 and 25,000 people, and the area simply wasn’t able to accommodate both the concerts and international cricket simultaneously. While the timing was unfortunate, Stormont in Belfast will provide a fantastic setting. It’s an intimate venue, both games will be sold out, and the atmosphere should be excellent. We’re really looking forward to it.

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