Author: Boria Majumdar

It was a little over an hour after India had won. Social media was on overdrive and each one who is a fan of Indian badminton was celebrating. That was when Pullela Gopichand called back after seeing the messages. He was trying to sound calm but clearly, he was finding it hard to hide his excitement. “Could this be the Thomas Cup moment for women’s badminton?” I asked. There was a brief pause before he answered. “It is a huge moment for the sport,” said Gopi. “For Sindhu to start like that, and then Gayatri and Treesa playing a fantastic…

At the end of day two of the Rajkot Test, it was England who were the happier of the two teams. Having bowled India out for under 450, they had raced to 207-2 at stumps while scoring at more than 6 runs an over. Clearly, India hadn’t anticipated the assault and were rattled. And soon after, it was revealed that Ravi Ashwin, India’s go-to bowler, had to leave the team for personal reasons to be with family. Rohit Sharma and the team management needed a Plan B. If they had to take control, they needed to put in a…

It was a partnership waiting to happen. And I have to thank Sagar Daryani for getting us together. Independently we had known each other for years and always wanted to make a difference to sport. It was interesting to hear Rahul Todi outline his vision for football, hockey and a host of other Olympic sports. It was only natural that Rahul mentioned the fandom for East Bengal which he witnessed first hand in the aftermath of the Super Cup win. That’s when we decided to take things ahead and work together for not just the Trailblazers Conclave 2.0 presented by…

“She (Anmol Kharb) played outstandingly well, I have to say. Look at her temperament at this age”, Indian badminton head coach Pullela Gopichand just couldn’t stop himself. On Saturday, the Indian women had just made the Asian Team Championship final and Gopichand was understandably elated. PV Sindhu, on a comeback trail, hadn’t won her match and that meant there was pressure on the rest of the team. And when it became 2-2 the pressure was intense on Anmol with a historic final appearance in sight. It was all about pressure and soaking in the occasion. Against the hosts (Thailand), who…

“They have a complete game and are surely going to be the team to watch out for in the next few months. If you check, there are few like them around the world. They have the physical strength to hit the big smashes, they have the defence and age is on their side. They will only get better. And having played in Tokyo and knowing what it is all about they will surely be one of our best bets for Paris,” said Pullela Gopichand when I asked him about Satwik and Chirag and how he sees them shaping up in…

As R Ashwin pauses at 500 wickets, I’d like to take my readers back to a conversation that took place when he was on 220 wickets after 39 Tests. “I am bowling at my best,” he said with the resolve that has always set him apart. “There is no doubt about that, but can I do better is the question I keep asking myself. There is no end to improvement. But at the moment, the ball if coming out nicely and I am feeling very good about bowling. I don’t go into matches thinking I will win the game, but…

This is an Indian side without the great Virat Kohli and the dependable KL Rahul. There are two debutants, and one who is a Test match old. And then you are reduced to 33-3, with the two centurions from the Vizag Test both back in the pavilion. England were breathing fire and the toss advantage had been nullified. As skipper, Rohit Sharma had to let his bat take over. The batter in him needed to take centre stage for the captain and the team. A wicket then, and you had two debutants to follow. Clearly, the match was already in…

As we get ready for the Rajkot Test, there are reports in the media that Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the fourth Test in Ranchi. It is because the selectors are concerned with the load on Bumrah, and want to ensure that his body holds up for the challenges going forward. All of these calls are based on principles of workload management. The question is when did workload management first come into Indian cricket? How did things evolve, and how were processes put in place? To understand this, we need to go to Bharat Arun, former bowling coach of…

Carles Cuadrat won an ISL title with Bengaluru FC, while playing a dominating brand of football that made them the neutrals’ team for a while. Now, he has taken on a far bigger challenge, tasked with restoring East Bengal – one of Indian football’s Big Two, historically – to former glories. His tenure has started with a Super Cup win and there is plenty of optimism in the air as they approach the climactic stages of the ISL season. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz’ editor-in-chief. Boria: Tremendous impact so far. Tell me about the journey so…

Dream on. Dreams do come true. For others these may be words of encouragement. For Manasi Joshi, however, they are much more. These words define her life in a way. Sample this: “When I was trying to make a comeback to sport and make a career out of it, these words were a constant source of support. As a para-athlete I had my own share of challenges. Life wasn’t easy. But that’s what it is all about. To be able to fight. To overcome adversity. ‘Dream on’, as Sachin Tendulkar says. For dreams do come true. And may I say…