Author: Ashok Namboodiri

Hardik Pandya is an enigma. He belongs to the tribe of sportspersons who make their mark through attitude, aura, and audacity; he is that rare maverick who wears his scars like medals and his confidence like armour. On his 32nd birthday on October 11, 2025, we try and decode the man’s DNA. In his T20 career, Hardik has scored over 1,800 runs with a 140+ strike rate and notched up almost 100 wickets. In the IPL, his journey has been stellar, with more than 2,500 runs to his kitty. He capained Gujarat Titans and led them to the title in…

The second edition of the Sport, Business and Society conference got off to a fantastic start yesterday at IIM Indore. The tranquility of the lush green sprawling campus was in direct contrast to the intense deliberations of the speakers and panelists over the course of five hours. The day began with the traditional lighting of the lamp by Guest of Honour, Padmasree Pullela Gopichand. Dr Boria Majumdar and Dr Vijay Pereira set the context for the day, recounting where it all began and the objectives of the conference. The theme of the day centered around India’s readiness to host the…

In most mature sporting economies, the relationship between academia and sports media is symbiotic – scholars generate insights that shape narratives, while journalists and broadcasters turn data into stories that move audiences and markets. From MIT’s Sports Lab collaborating with ESPN to Oxford’s Saïd Business School shaping Olympic legacy projects, the two worlds feed each other. In India, however, that connection remains sporadic at best, more parallel lines than intersecting circles. Today’s Sports and Business Conference at the lush green, sprawling IIM Indore campus is a timely reminder that this gap cannot persist if India wishes to turn its sporting…

There are moments when a nation’s progress is best captured not by the roar of its victories, but by the silence that follows them. The Indian Oil New Delhi 2025 World Para Athletics Championships should have been one such moment – a landmark event that showcased India’s ability to host, organise, and perform on the global sporting stage. From September 27 to October 5, New Delhi welcomed over a hundred nations, nearly 1,600 athletes, and the world’s best para-athletes. India didn’t just play host; it made history, winning 22 medals – 6 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze; its best-ever…

Matchweek 7 of the Premier League delivered tactical duels, emotional finishes, and a table that refuses to settle. Arsenal continued to set the pace, Chelsea rediscovered their fire, and Everton’s Jack Grealish produced a late moment of magic that summed up a weekend built on thin lines between triumph and despair. Bournemouth 3–1 Fulham opened the weekend with grit and tempo. Antoine Semenyo’s brace made the difference, giving Bournemouth back-to-back home wins and lifting them clear of early relegation chatter. Fulham were tidy but lacked cutting edge …a recurring theme. Leeds 1–2 Tottenham was another reminder that Spurs are becoming…

Even as the ICC Women’s World Cup plays out, many venues stand empty, with scarce advertiser buzz behind the scenes. It is tempting to see this as a failure of audience interest but the deeper issue is one of branding, narrative and activation. Women’s cricket is still being sold as “women’s cricket” rather than “great cricket,” a subtle but fatal positioning gap. Globally, women’s sports that have broken out did so by shedding the overlay of advocacy and embracing the core principles of entertainment, drama, and star power. As WARC’s “seven tips” piece observes: “women’s sport has to be presented…

Ashok Namboodiri When the BCCI announced India’s squads for the upcoming Australia tour, it wasn’t just a cricket selection; it was a statement of intent. Shubman Gill captaining the ODI side, Suryakumar Yadav leading in T20Is, veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja rested — every call reflected a larger strategy. It was not about pleasing everyone. It was about building for the future. A.G. Lafley, the legendary Procter & Gamble CEO, said: “Strategy is about making choices to win.” In cricketing terms, this selection is India’s “Playing to Win” moment — bold, deliberate, and…

Nine editions in, the Dubai Fitness Challenge is no longer a month on the calendar; it’s an operating system for the city. Thirty minutes a day for thirty days sounds simple but the brilliance is in how Dubai turns that promise into a lived ritual. When Sheikh Zayed Road becomes a running track, beaches morph into bootcamps, and parks hum with free classes, the message is unmistakable: fitness isn’t a gated community for elites; it’s a public utility. What sets Dubai Fitness Challenge 2025 apart isn’t scale alone; it’s intent. The architecture is smarter – more neighborhood hubs, more plug-and-play…

Sports are supposed to be about skill, speed and stamina. But somewhere along the way, athletes, fans, and rule-makers sprinkled in a hefty dose of quirk. The result? A global language of terms that sound like inside jokes, childhood nicknames, or straight-up mischief. Take tennis. The scoring system already feels like a riddle. Love means zero. Forty comes after thirty, but never thirty-five. And just when you think you’ve cracked it, “deuce” pops up…sounding less like high-stakes parity and more like a polite sneeze. Padel, tennis’s flamboyant cousin, remixes the drama with the Golden Point, where a single rally decides…

India’s victory in the Asia Cup 2025 was more than just another trophy in the cabinet. It was a statement of intent, a reminder that the Men in Blue still remain the most formidable T20I outfit in Asia. Yet, beneath the jubilation lies a set of uncomfortable truths that the team management cannot afford to ignore. With the 2026 T20 World Cup in sight, this campaign must serve as both validation and warning. India’s batting unit carried the side with a blend of aggression and composure. Abhishek Sharma’s fearless starts alongside Shubman Gill’s calculated approach laid down a blueprint of…