Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

A man down in the 61st minute. Up by a goal 10 minutes later. Mohun Bagan Super Giant thwarted everything East Bengal threw at them for the remainder of the match to win the 132nd edition of the Durand Cup at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday. A great start to the season it was for the defending Indian Super League champions, who avenged the 1-0 setback suffered against their traditional rivals in the group stage. East Bengal fans would obviously feel dejected to see their 12-year wait for a trophy get longer. Expectations were high after the new-look…

Usually, there isn’t a lot to take home from an incomplete match. The much-hyped India-Pakistan Asia Cup fixture was one of those. What do you get from a game designed to last 100 overs, if it has to be called off after 48.5? Some heartburn if you are a diehard cricket fan, additional work like bringing the covers on and removing them if you are the ground staff or organiser, and a hole in the pocket if you have paid for a ticket or two or more. If you were part of the Indian team management, there were some heart-warming…

Rapid and blitz formats are making chess increasingly popular worldwide. More and more competitions are being held in these shorter formats. Thanks to the internet, both professional and casual players can make their moves from the comfort of their homes. The Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz has established itself as one of the top events globally since its inception in 2018, despite a Covid-19 intervention in 2020. Legendary players like Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand participated in the early editions. The women’s category was introduced last year, making the elite competition more comprehensive. The second edition of this…

The beginning of India’s Perfect 10 in the badminton World Championships takes one back to 2011. Not many other than Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa believed they were capable of returning from London with a medal. The bronze they snatched triggered a run which has seen Indians on the podium in 10 successive editions of the event. It has become a norm, almost taken for granted. If Indians don’t medal at the Worlds, it will be treated as failure. When Jwala and Ashwini did what they did, it came as a bolt from the blue. No Indian had gone near…

Thirty-one is an age when an athlete tends to be on the downward slope. In a game like badminton, which demands high levels of fitness, speed, strength and stamina, a player of that age is called a veteran. Usually, most of them achieve their best well before reaching that stage. Those who surpass their best after that are exceptions. Despite his defeat against Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the badminton World Championship semi-finals, HS Prannoy remains that exception. One can say that the bronze he had to settle for was India’s ninth in the history of the competition. There is nothing unique…

HS Prannoy did nothing that underdogs do after humbling the overwhelming favourite in a big game. After Victor Axelsen’s return landed wide, Prannoy gently raised his right hand and then froze himself in a position suggesting that he was pointing a gun at his own head. In all likelihood, he was trying to say it’s all in the mind, after playing the game of his life. That muted celebration carried a loud message. India’s strength in badminton cannot be underrated. They keep finding the player for the moment. Winning medals in the year’s top tournament — World Championships or Olympics…

If Sachin Tendulkar had Ramakant Achrekar, R Praggnanandhaa has RB Ramesh. The prodigy’s hopes of causing the upset of his life ended with the second tie-break game in the chess World Cup final. Magnus Carlsen made sure that the 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa’s dream run did not include a win against the World No. 1, after victories against the No. 2 and No. 3 en route to the final. Ramesh said he was not surprised, and expects his ward to do even better in future. Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to qualify for the Candidates tournament,…

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been delivered the knockout punch which was imminent. The United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body, has suspended it for not holding elections on time, despite repeated warnings. Apart from tarnishing the image of a body already mired in controversies, this could have other implications for one of India’s most productive Olympic sports, which has given the country seven medals down the years. Indians will not be allowed to compete under the national flag at the World Championships in Belgrade from September 16-25. This is one of the most unfortunate moments…

Not all winners have to ooze aggression. Not all have to intimidate the opponent with body language. Some are the quiet types, likely to go unnoticed in a crowd unless they try to draw attention. They don’t glare at the rival or try psychological tricks to gain an advantage. These type of players let their silent actions make the noise. Sometimes, the noise becomes loud. R Praggnanandhaa’s historic march into the Chess World Cup final, thereby ensuring a berth in the Candidates tournament, has been the tale of one such player. He is the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to…

He was returning to international cricket after almost 11 months. How long would it take for him to get a wicket? Jasprit Bumrah needed just two deliveries to answer that. Was this a dream comeback? Bumrah took three more balls for a second wicket in his first over. He was back after an agonising period of getting injured, and being declared fit and unfit, before undergoing a long process of treatment and recovery. The conditions were favourable, and both dismissals had an amount of luck if you were a fast bowler. Andy Balbirnie played away from the body with a…