Author: Boria Majumdar

What is excellence in journalism? Is it about working hard and producing copy after copy or story after story? Working 12–14-hour days non-stop and putting in the long hours? Or is it about the deep dive, an intellectual pursuit that goes beyond the surface and helps you get to the bottom of the story and understand it better? And in turn present it better for the readers and viewers? Or is it a mesh of the two in this age of demand and supply? The truth is the definition has changed. It is not about quantity. Never was. So don’t…

When the Indian men’s team played at Lord’s, the media was there in numbers to cover it. When the women played at Lord’s last night and trained the day before, there was no one except Sharmistha Gooptu and Rohit Juglan from Revsportz to report on the game. That no one else covered it is fine by us. Who are we to comment on what others will do or should do? Our job is to disrupt and offer holistic coverage and we will. Our job is to try and support the women’s game as much as the men. In fact, one…

India-Pakistan WCL game stands cancelled. As reported by Revsportz last night, this was always likely. The organisers have also issued a press release explaining why they had decided to go ahead with the game. They have cited the Pakistan hockey team’s possible visit to India as one of the reasons. They have also said that they wanted some entertainment for the fans. The truth is the explanation is lame, and the match was untenable. The Hockey clearance has been given for the Asia Cup and the Junior World Cup. These are international events and are guided by international norms…

The report tabled by the Karnataka government in the High Court on the Bengaluru stampede has been the burning topic over the last 24 hours. It implicates Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and has placed the blame on the franchise and its partners. While it is only natural and expected that RCB will now respond to the report and contest the findings, the truth is that all this will never really redeem either the administration or the franchise. Each stakeholder is responsible for the tragedy, and the failure was collective. While television debates can suggest otherwise, the ground reality will never…

The state government’s report in the High Court, implicating Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the stampede, has thrown up a lot of questions. While the points made are for the courts to decide and adjudicate on, the one I wish to address is what this means for the future of RCB as a franchise based out of Bengaluru? The state government and the franchise are now involved in a muddied court case, one that will decide which side is to be blamed for the tragedy. The relationship is bound to get even more acrimonious over time. The trophy win is…

I have been hearing a lot of people talk about Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the fourth Test in Manchester. I honestly find it silly to even contemplate the question. Bumrah is playing a collective sport, and the only thing that matters is what the team needs. With the series on the line, it is but natural that India would want and need their premier bowler. Nothing else is priority, and he has to play. Unless there is an injury – and from what we know, there isn’t – this is not even a debate or question worth a deep dive.…

As RevSportz grows and people realise that it is a platform for aspiring journalists, the number of applications that come to me for jobs has grown exponentially. A number of these applicants write to me saying they would love to be on tour and contribute. That’s where things go wrong. A number of people feel that being on tour is all about travel and food and partying at night. For some, it is the glamour. And only for a handful, it is about hard work. The truth is, it is only about hard work and nothing else. During a Test…

Boria Majumdar As I fly back to Delhi and then Kolkata for a few days, it is also time to introspect and reflect on the work the team has been putting together in England for the last one month and more. When we planned the coverage, there was no template in front of us. While for a multi-discipline event, it is now a tried and tested formula, for cricket it was entirely new. Why are you taking such a big team to the UK in the summer when the costs are exorbitant? Many had asked me the question. I had…

Boria Majumdar in London As the dust settles on a heart-wrenching Lord’s defeat, it’s time to think what India need to do going ahead to Manchester. First things first, this team has shown fight. Once India were reduced to 81/7 on the fifth morning of the third Test, I for once feared that they would get bundled out for 100 and it would be a telling blow to the team’s morale. And when Nitish Kumar Reddy was out just on the stroke of lunch, my fear was reinforced. With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj left to assist Ravindra Jadeja, not…

Boria Majumdar in London It was eventually the last round in a 15-round boxing bout. No team was ready to throw in the towel and the punches from both sides kept landing. Players were bloodied and exhausted but the fight was still on. India, thanks to Jadeja and the lower order, threatened the unthinkable and had it happened it could have been compared to Ben Stokes’ miracle at Headingley or Kusal Mendis’ effort against South Africa. Ravindra Jadeja almost pulled off a heist. But then, sport can be cruel and that’s what happened when Mohammed Siraj dragged the delivery from…