Throwback to Naman Ojha's 3 best cricketing moments
Former Indian cricketer Naman Ojha is celebrating his 40th birthday today. The former Indian wicketkeeper-batter was born on July 20, 1983, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
Ojha achieved enormous success in domestic cricket, but he did not get too many chances to prove himself in international matches. The 40-year-old only got to play one Test, one ODI and two T20Is for India. He did a decent job on Test debut, scoring 56 runs, taking four catches and executing one stumping against Sri Lanka in 2015. However, he never donned the whites for India again.
Nevertheless, Naman Ojha had some great moments in the IPL and other T20 leagues after retirement. In this listicle, we will look at the top three moments of his career.
#1 Naman Ojha records 2 half-centuries against Chennai Super Kings in a space of 5 days
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are five-time IPL champions. They won their first trophy in 2010. While CSK were at the top of their game in IPL 2010, they could not stop Naman Ojha from smashing two half-centuries against them in the same week.
On March 28, 2010, Ojha whacked a 49-ball 80 against CSK in Ahmedabad. Opening the batting for Rajasthan Royals (RR), the wicketkeeper-batter hit six fours and five sixes en route to his 80-run knock. RR won that match by 17 runs.
Four days later, RR reached Chennai for an away fixture against CSK. Murali Vijay's hundred helped CSK post 246/5 on the board. Chasing 247, Rajasthan started well, with Naman Ojha scoring 94 runs off just 55 deliveries. Shane Watson supported him with a 25-ball 60.
However, the target was too big for the Rajasthan batters. They finished with 223/5, losing the game by 23 runs. Ojha and Watson's performances ensured that RR did not suffer a one-sided defeat in Chennai.
#2 Naman Ojha smashes a double hundred on Australian soil
India 'A' visited Australia for an unofficial Test series in July 2014 and Naman Ojha was a part of the squad. He rose to the occasion and whacked a double hundred against Australia 'A' at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
Batting at number seven, Ojha remained not out on 219 runs off 250 balls. He smashed 29 fours and eight sixes against the likes of Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner, Moises Henriques, and Ben Cutting. That match ended in a draw.
#3 Ojha helps India Legends win Road Safety World Series
Ojha got an opportunity to play for India Legends in the Road Safety World Series (RSWS) after retirement. He opened the batting with Sachin Tendulkar in the mega event. India Legends played against Sri Lanka Legends in the final match of RSWS 2022 in Raipur.
India Legends opted to bat first but slumped to 19/2 in three overs, with Tendulkar and Suresh Raina back in the hut. Naman Ojha then played one of the best innings of his T20 career, scoring 108 runs off 71 balls, hitting 15 fours and two sixes. His knock helped India Legends score 195/6 in 20 overs.
Sri Lanka Legends got all out for 162 runs as India Legends successfully retained the Road Safety World Series championship. Ojha was named the Player of the Match for his century and two stumpings.