Author: Boria Majumdar

Pakistan apparently refused to send Salman Ali Agha to the presentation because the India’s players refused the post-match handshakes. That’s the narrative being peddled at the moment. Ask people in the know, and you will realise this was not the case. Rather, what was conveyed was something fundamentally different. The message sent was that Pakistan wouldn’t attend the presentation because it was being conducted by Sanjay Manjrekar, an Indian. Apparently they weren’t comfortable with that, and hence decided not to attend. However, Shaheen Shah Afridi did come and collect his award, which yet again spoke of double standards. And then,…

India was always going to be the better team. How much better was the question. Could Pakistan compete? Are they even there to be able to push India? Could the Indians remove all the emotion when they walked out and turn in a ruthless and clinical effort? These were the questions doing the rounds at the start of the Asia Cup game. In front of a Dubai International Stadium packed to 90 per cent, the Indians turned in an effort they will be pleased with. They needed to brush Pakistan aside and they did. From the first wicket in the…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai Four hours to go for the India-Pakistan contest, and the tension is palpable. For the first time in history, Indian fans are divided on whether to watch this game or not. Should they boycott or use the sports field to make a point? What’s the best approach? In all this, one thing is certain. The end point for everyone is the same. Each is an Indian and each is hurt. Angry, upset and fed up. And that’s why this disagreement. Each one of us are figuring out our own ways to protest. But each one of…

India’s 3-1 Davis Cup victory over ninth-seeded Switzerland in the World Group 1 was a result for the ages. Not only did it come away from home, at the Swiss Tennis Arena in Biel, but it was also against a fancied opponent, the sort of side India have not beaten in the recent past. This result puts India into the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers early next year, and Sumit Nagal played a huge part, winning both his singles – against Marc-Andrea Huelser (6-3, 7-6) and Henry Bernet (6-1, 6-3). In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Nagal spoke…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai I have been arguing almost every day that the boycott solution doesn’t work. Where does it end? You boycott the Asia cup. What’s next? Will you boycott the women’s World Cup on home soil? The men’s T20 World Cup in February? Will you keep boycotting and playing into Pakistan’s hands? Once you start this, all Pakistan needs to do is field an athlete in every sports event and then wait for India to boycott. Boycott empowers Pakistan and allows it to have a field day at the expense of India. Instead, use the sports field to…

Boria Majumdar Now that the UAE formality is over, all eyes will be on India-Pakistan this Sunday. And that’s where we need to spare a thought for the players. In all honesty, you don’t want to be a player in this game. Either way, you will be questioned. If you play, you will be called anti-national by the boycott brigade who can’t even recognize that, as a cricketer, your job is to go out there and perform if picked. If you play and don’t win, all hell will break lose. This is the one match you can’t lose, and all…

Boria Majumdar in Dubai No, the Indians did not need water to drink. Nor was there any dearth of water for the travelling media. All of that was well taken care of. Rather, that water bottle became the bull’s-eye as the Indian team started to warm up at the ICC Academy. Placed 25 metres away, players were asked to hit it as part of their throwing drills. And each time someone did it, there were loud cheers. With the heat starting to go down as the sun lost a bit of steam, such fun drills lit up India’s practice. Captain…

Gautam Gambhir has one of the most talked about jobs in world cricket. Whatever he does, he will not please fans. Someone or the other will imply an agenda and ask questions. If he backs Sanju Samson and plays him at No. 5, fans will ask why Shubman Gill and not Sanju at the top of the order? If he plays Kuldeep Yadav and drops Arshdeep Singh, some will say he is being unfair towards the left-arm seamer. In India’s white-ball set-up, which has an abundance of riches, you can never please everyone. The best part about Gautam is that…

On September 14, India will play Pakistan in Dubai at the Asia Cup. It is understandable that most eyeballs will be on that game, which – against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor – isn’t just a normal T20 encounter. There are other considerations attached to it, and the setting of the game will be different. On the same day, India Women will play Australia Women in Mullanpur. It is the first of a three-match series building up to the World Cup at home. While there is little buzz, it is essential we back the women as they get ready to…

Boria Majumdar Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was the hero with his decisive penalty shootout save as Indian overcame Oman to take third place in the CAFA Cup in Tajikistan. Dropped by Manolo Marquez for the start of the Asian Cup campaign, Gurpreet went back to his old stomping ground in Norway in the summer to rediscover his best form. In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, he talks of the road back, and why India have reason to be optimistic with Khalid Jamil as coach. Boria: From being dropped to being India’s saviour. The win against Oman. All of India’s…