Author: Boria Majumdar

I have to say I was looking forward to hosting the India leg of the Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. This was my second time doing so after 2014, and with Gilberto Silva in the house, it was an occasion to look forward to. What made the event doubly special was what Coca-Cola announced at the gala dinner in the presence of two of India’s U-17 women’s footballers. The brand announced support to the tune of crores over three years, which will be used for the training and development of the girls as they get ready to play in…

As the ODI series between India and New Zealand begins, with all focus on Shubman Gill as captain and on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, one eye will also have to be on the T20 series — the last warm-up opportunity ahead of the World Cup, which starts on January 21. The BCCI has announced that Tilak Varma is out of the first three games, and from what we know, his rehab will start in 10 days, when he gradually begins skill training. Maybe this is why the BCCI hasn’t called up Shreyas Iyer or Rajat Patidar, and is confident…

In this new episode of Backstage with Boria, Mumbai Indians’ head coach Lisa Keightley and mentor Jhulan Goswami reflect on the impact of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Indian women’s cricket. They speak about how the WPL has played a key role in shaping talents like Harmanpreet Kaur, giving her added confidence. Jhulan recalled Harmanpreet’s early days and traits that continue to define her. The duo also underlined the rise of young match-winners like Amanjot Kaur and Mrs Nita Ambani’s initiative to back an all-women coaching staff, while Keightley shared her excitement about taking on the coaching…

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have both joined the team for the New Zealand 50-over series, and I am sure we will soon hear talk about their 2027 World Cup chances. Aakash Chopra, who was my guest on Backstage With Boria yesterday, made an interesting point on this issue. “Rohit and Virat both played the 2023 World Test Championship final in England in June of that year,” he said. “Had you mentioned to the two of them then that they would be retired from Test cricket by June 2025, both would have laughed it off. And yet, that’s exactly what…

In this special episode of Backstage with Boria, Aakash Chopra sets up everything cricket for the year 2026. He breaks down Shubman Gill missing out on the T20 World Cup, backs Yashasvi Jaiswal over him, assesses India Women’s T20 standing ahead of the WPL, explains how the Kohli-Rohit duo can be the best-case scenario for World Cup 2027, how the U-19 World Cup can be the feeder service for the men’s senior cricket team and much more. Boria: First real competition for 2026 is the Men’s T20 World Cup. Do you give us a chance? Thoughts on Shubman Gill’s omission?…

Finally, a good old-fashioned Test match that goes the distance. After the two-day farce in Melbourne, Sydney produced a belter that had something for everyone, and we did see some really good performances from both sides. Although Australia seem to be on course to win the game, it has had its share of ebbs and flows that you associate with Test cricket. I will speak about two separate efforts to prove my point. The first was the effort from Jacob Bethell in the English second innings. A real hard-fought hundred from a hugely talented youngster, it could mark the maturing…

Finally, some good news. Football will restart in the country, and we will see both the ISL and the I-League take place from February. On a day full of hectic meetings, the AIFF managed to get approval from its Executive Committee, brought the clubs together for a meeting at 3pm, and finally had Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya brief the media after 5pm. First things first: the structure isn’t perfect. None of us expected it to be when everyone is racing against time. But, at least we will have football, and that is the most important thing at the moment. Both…

I wrote a column yesterday asking whether the Bangladesh response was a political one or based on genuine security concerns. A lot of readers from Bangladesh have expressed rather radical responses to the piece. Frankly, this is expected. These days, you don’t expect reason; rather, you expect volatility and ultra-nationalist jingoism. I also said that I understand where the BCB was coming from. With India stopping Mustafizur Rahman from playing in the IPL, they were under compulsion to react. And with elections coming up, the reaction came from the very top. The government can’t be seen to be weak,…

You speak to people in the know, and the AIFF roadmap to salvage Indian football becomes clear. First, the AIFF is determined to stage the league. In fact, the league happening is now a certainty. What shape or form it will take will become clear in the next few days. “We have to hold the league, for there has to be continuity,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity. “Else, Indian football will suffer a death blow. For the sake of our players and our fans, we have to do whatever we can to hold the league. “We will…

Much has already been said about Bangladesh’s decision not to come to India for the T20 World Cup. Clearly, it is a reaction to what happened the day before, and India’s decision not to allow Mustafizur Rahman to play in the IPL. Miffed by the call, the political establishment in Bangladesh had to react – and they did. Till this point, it was all fine. But the reason cited – security considerations and the safety of the team and players – is where things become problematic. First, security wasn’t an issue till the day before. Everything was fine, and even…