Author: Boria Majumdar

Boria Majumdar in Dubai Though he couldn’t perform as expected with the bat, Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy was integral to India’s seven-match unbeaten run to clinch the Asia Cup. Three of those wins came in pressure-cooker ties against Pakistan. In this exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz’s editor-in-chief, Surya spoke of managing the pressure and how unique the circumstances were surrounding this tournament. Boria: Beating Pakistan three times in a span of 15 days. No Indian captain has done that. You must be special. Surya: [Laughs] Yeah, winning 3-0 was excellent. Incredible show from the boys. They delivered what I expected…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai It was 3am Dubai time and Suryakumar Yadav had just finished eating some food when he walked into the room at the Taj where we had planned the interview. He had a chocolate cake in his hand and said to me, “Dada, aap ke liye hai. Aaj to banta hai [This is for you. Today, it’s a must].” That was what started the conversation. And Surya did not hold back. “I will not lie to you,” he told me. “If you measured my heartbeat at that time, it would have been 150 plus [beats a…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai The countdown to the Asia Cup final couldn’t have been more tense. Every person I have met here in Dubai has asked me one simple question, “Will there be any issue if we go to the stadium?” The truth is this game is one of the most politically charged cricket matches of all time. The 1999 World Cup match between India and Pakistan was played against the backdrop of Kargil. In 2003, it was yet again played against the backdrop of war. But the difference between then and now is, there was no social media at…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai One more day and another tournament will come to an end for us at RevSportz. And yet again, we have been able to win the coverage. Every nuance, ground report, practice details, lives, fun and banter — it has been a very demanding three weeks in Dubai. And yes, there are many learnings. That RevSportz is now a go-to platform is evidenced when people come up to us in the press box and say they want to be a part of the team. Two examples will suffice. We were all covering practice when one of the…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai The Abbas-Mustan thriller last night was not necessarily a bad thing for India. In fact, I’d argue it was a very good wakeup call and just what India needed. India have not played their best cricket, but still made the Asia Cup final quite comfortably. No team was able to stretch them, and that finally happened on Friday night with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera tearing into India’s bowling attack. Hardik Pandya went off with cramps and Jasprit Bumrah was rested. That meant India did not have their regular power-play bowlers, and a rusty Arshdeep Singh…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai It is the much wanted India-Pakistan final in the Asia Cup. With fan interest at a massive high, it will attract a sell out crowd at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. But what about the game? Can Pakistan compete and push India or will it be yet another one-sided contest? Elite high performance sport is 95 per cent played in the mind. Mentally, will Pakistan be up for it? Do they have it in them to face up to a gun Indian team? Let’s be honest here. Against Bangladesh for example, Pakistan were average. A…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai Abhishek Sharma is the player of the tournament and has literally taken the Asia Cup by storm, and made statement after statement. That he is playing fearless cricket is known. That he is a wonderfully skilful and talented player is also known. But what the innings against Bangladesh brought to light was his mental fortitude and his decisiveness. That there is a method to his madness, and that each step is well measured and well crafted. Bangladesh started well and Abhishek did not attempt a first-ball six like he did against Shaheen Shah Afridi. In the…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai I was coming out for the post-match show when WhatsApp messages just started to go off on my phone. I did not take notice, for I was focussed on the show. But that was when two of our viewers pointed it out. One said: “Boria da, just check Mohsin Naqvi’s tweet. It is disgraceful.” I opened his official X (formerly Twitter) handle and, for a few seconds, was shocked. Was I seeing right? Was the account hacked, or was it an AI-generated image? I even asked Ashok and Gargi to check, for I honestly believed…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai If there is one team that can match Indian fans in intensity, it is Bangladesh. Their media is an extension of the team and they are here in numbers to support Litton Das and his boys. With a batting line-up that chased down 170 against Sri Lanka, they know they have a chance. They also know India will come hard and in Dubai there is a really nice build-up to the game. After all the politics over India-Pakistan, the focus is back to cricket and on Wednesday evening, the sport will take centre stage in hot…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai Botswana, a country with a population less than my neighbourhood in Kolkata, won the gold medal – yes, gold medal – in the 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. It is an astounding feat when you think of the resources, and the population of the country. The quartet – Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi – are, justly, national heroes. In their honour, the country has declared a national holiday today, with the President calling for celebrations. This is what sport can do. Put you on the global…