Virat Kohli inspiration behind career revival for England's Haseeb Hameed

News Network

December 4, 2020

London, Dec 4: Haseeb Hameed paid tribute to India captain Virat Kohli for inspiring a revival that the England top-order batsman hopes will see him regain his Test place.

Hameed signed a new contract with English county side Nottinghamshire on Thursday that is set to keep him with the Midlands club until the end of the 2022 season.

He scored three half-centuries in five Bob Willis Trophy matches for Nottinghamshire after moving to Trent Bridge from his native Lancashire at the end of last season, when it looked like a once promising career might be cut short.

Bolton-born Hameed left Old Trafford just three years after impressing for England in India.

But the runs dried up to such an extent that in 2018 his average failed to reach double figures.

A change of scene, however, means Hameed, is now looking to add to his three Test caps.

"Having got a taste of it very young and then those experiences that followed, it has been an absolute rollercoaster but that ambition is still there," Hameed said of an England recall.

"I am 23, I will be 24 in a couple of months but I still see myself hopefully playing this game I love for another 12 to 13 years, if not longer."

Such was his concentration and correct technique he was nicknamed 'Baby Boycott' in honour of England opening great Geoffrey Boycott.

Kohli then labelled Hameed a "future star" after he made an unbeaten 59 with a broken finger in Mohal.

But the injury led to a dramatic dip in form that saw Hameed playing for Lancashire's second XI.

Kohli's words, however, helped keep Hameed going.

"Obviously for someone like Virat to say that does give you a lot of confidence and he is a massive inspiration for me as it is," Hameed said.

"I think he is a great inspiration for people to look at and see what you can achieve if you put your mind to it and have a bit of discipline."

As for his own "mental resilience", Hameed added: "I have something deep down that won't let me stop."

While he would have never contemplated "waking away from the game", Hameed said he had doubts.

"That is when you need something within you, deep down to stop you from giving in and to try one more time and to keep doing that," he said.

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Campus politics: DKS pushes to restore student elections in Karnataka banned since 1989

News Network

November 26,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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