Patna: A new global cricket storytelling platform, ‘Midwicket Stories’, has been launched by Patna-based entrepreneur Nishant Dayal and co-founder Jaya Prasad, with the aim of documenting lesser-known stories from some of the sport’s most celebrated players.
The platform was officially launched on Sunday at the ITC Maratha Hotel in Mumbai in the presence of several former international cricketers and members of the cricketing fraternity.
Focus on Stories Beyond Statistics
According to the founders, the platform seeks to move beyond conventional cricket coverage centred on scores, records, and match results. Instead, it focuses on personal memories, dressing-room anecdotes, friendships, rivalries, and moments that shaped players’ careers.
Speaking at the launch event, Nishant Dayal said the initiative was designed to preserve cricket’s emotional and cultural legacy through long-form conversations with former cricketers.
He said the idea was to create a space where players could openly discuss experiences and stories that fans rarely get to hear through mainstream sports coverage.
International Reach Across Continents
The platform has so far produced seven episodes featuring 11 former cricketers across seven cities, four countries, and three continents.
Among those featured are Allan Border, Matthew Hayden, Viv Richards, Chris Gayle, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Sanath Jayasuriya.
The founders said the series involved nearly three years of travel, research, and production work across multiple international locations.
Support From Cricketing Figures
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who serves as Principal Advisor to Midwicket Stories, praised the concept during the launch event.
According to the organisers, Gavaskar said he recognised the uniqueness of the idea when Nishant Dayal first approached him with the proposal and believed it had the potential to create a distinct space within cricket media.
Social Initiative Linked to the Project
The initiative also includes a charitable component connected to child healthcare.
The Dr. Dayal Foundation has committed to sponsoring heart surgeries for two children after every edition of the series. Organisers added that Gavaskar’s ‘Heart to Heart Foundation’ already supports heart surgeries for nearly 35 children every year.
The founders said the project aims to combine storytelling in sport with broader social responsibility initiatives.
