Author: Bharath Ramaraj

Somewhere in 2016, Sri Lanka Under-19 were taking on England Under-19 in a quarterfinal game of the U19 World Cup. Sri Lanka’s innings was mostly about how Avishka Fernando dismantled an England attack comprising three bowlers who went on to play for the senior team. In the midst of Fernando’s array of shots was Charith Asalanka’s scratchy 34. He never really found his batting rhythm, but he hung around to compile a crucial hand. He also shared a vital stand of 69 with Fernando to guide Sri Lanka to a memorable win. Asalanka also was the captain of that Under-19…

Bharath Ramaraj “He is like an AI-generated player.” – Alexander Bublik said after suffering a crushing 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 loss to the defending US Open champion and the current No. 1 ranked player, Jannik Sinner. Bublik came into the 2025 US Open on a high, having won the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad and the recently concluded Generali Open. He had also got the better of Sinner in June, albeit it came on grass. However, that loss was an anomaly in a season where Sinner has won 94 sets and lost just 14 sets. So, why has it become so difficult…

When an athlete says, ‘I am in good form’, what does it actually mean? Perhaps it is about being in a zone where everything seems to be in sync. The kind of zone where your inner voice isn’t sowing the seeds of doubt. Maybe that athlete has found himself in a place where he or she is able to blend technique, temperament and intuition to reach a high level of excellence. There is also the other side of being in an auto-mode – Paddling through a phase where whatever you try isn’t good enough. A forgetful day where an athlete…

The sun sets and a new dawn begins. For a few years, Gurjapneet Singh, the Tamil Nadu pace bowler, might have thought of that line while navigating his cricketing journey. At 17, he left his hometown in Haryana and came all the way to Tamil Nadu to pursue his ambitions. And it took the left-arm pacer another seven to eight years to realise a part of his dreams – Playing his maiden first-class game. October 11, 2024 turned out to be a momentous day in Gurjapneet’s fledgling career, with the 6’3″ fast bowler donning the white flannels for Tamil Nadu…

It is time for the victor to celebrate his achievements. Julian Weber, the impressive Javelin athlete, ran across Zurich’s Sechseläutenplatz square stadium and took a photo of himself by asking one of his close acquaintances to click it, in the Diamond League Final. He had just crossed the 91-metre mark for the second time in the competition. Soon, after all of the athletes had their customary 5 attempts, Weber was declared the winner. Weber held his arms aloft to celebrate his maiden Diamond League Final victory. Weber, known as the unlucky one, having missed out on a podium finish in…

Over the last 12 months, Prince Yadav, the Delhi quick bowler, has made waves in Indian cricketing circles for his deceptive pace and yorkers. In the recently concluded IPL, some of his skills were on display. In that tournament, he dismissed the likes of Travis Head, Will Jacks and Nehal Wadhera with either the yorker or by bowling full and straight. The fast bowler, who can clock speeds in excess of 140 kph, hogged the limelight in the Delhi Premier League last year, taking 13 scalps. He followed that up with noteworthy performances in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq…

Bharath Ramaraj Aeons ago, as the sun faded away in the pink city of Jaipur, a young wicketkeeper-batter’s professional career was about to burn bright. Sanju Samson, all of 18, walked out to bat with his side in a spot of bother at 79 for 4 while chasing 125 against Kings XI Punjab. More than the 27 runs that he scored in that game, it was his temperament that stood out. He seemed unfazed by the big occasion as he steered his side past the finishing line. The front-foot pull that he essayed off Parvinder Awana said something about his…

Year – 2008 Month – November At the Rajkot Stadium, there were faint cries of ‘oohs and aahs’. A young Cheteshwar Pujara had just been beaten on the outside edge while facing Odisha’s Preetamjit Das in a Ranji Trophy game. Pujara, then just 20, had attempted a cut stroke, only for his bottom hand to take over and for the ball to whistle past the edge. Unfortunately for Preetak and his teammates, Pujara was already batting in the 290s and his team’s score – Saurashtra – had crossed the 550-run mark. The young man’s concentration prowess, however, didn’t waver.…

This might be a hypothetical question in relation to India’s current T20I set-up – ‘Do they have a complete side at the moment?’ To a large extent, the verdict could be a ‘Yes’. However, there appears to be one small chink, which somewhere down the line could bother the national side against one of the top teams. That is the lack of power-hitting lower down the order. In a T20 game, more often not, those batting at 7 and 8 are set to play a few deliveries at the back end of the innings. In such circumstances, those taking lower-order…

The name Shantha Rangaswamy is synonymous with Indian women’s cricket. She was the first captain of the national cricket team. She was also the first woman cricketer to receive the Arjuna Award, in 1976. Rangaswamy is also the first Indian woman cricketer to accumulate a hundred in Test cricket. The redoubtable all-rounder also compiled crucial fifties against the West Indies and Australia, alongside picking up key wickets. Who can forget Rangaswamy bagging three wickets in an over against Australia Under-25s to force a draw in 1975? Her achievements will echo for many generations to come. In an exclusive chat with…