Author: Boria Majumdar

The 40-plus debate has been in the news of late. Though he has once again taken over the reins at Chennai Super Kings (CSK), MS Dhoni is no longer at his best. That age is catching up with him has been the refrain. That he isn’t the same is indeed true. He is not the same batter as he was, and is the match-winner he was once. Having said that, he is still one of the best, if not the best, wicket-keepers in the IPL. And that’s what brings the age issue into focus. Is it age that is catching…

Chennai Super Kings fans expected a miracle with MS Dhoni back as leader. What they got was the exact opposite – the worst batting effort at home which has raised multiple questions about the team and its approach. Let’s face it… No captain can do much with this team. You don’t have a single player except Shivam Dube who can perhaps hit the ball. You have openers who aren’t equipped to play the modern version of T20 cricket and then you have many who are past their prime. It just doesn’t happen like this and no Midas touch can do…

The season didn’t start well for Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG), as a result of a controversial disqualification from Asian competition. But domestically, they have been on a different level, winning the ISL League Shield with a record points tally and going from behind in a tense and titanic ISL Cup semi-final against Jamshedpur FC. Subhasish Bose has led from the front all campaign, and he talks to RevSportz’s editor-in-chief, Boria Majumdar, about this magnificent season and the final step that lies ahead. Boria: First, the League Shield and now the ISL final, which will turn out to be a…

There has been a lot of talk since yesterday evening on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s appointment as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper in the absence of Ruturaj Gaikwad, unfortunately out for 3-4 weeks with an injury. Is the CSK management justified in appointing Dhoni, arguably India’s best white-ball captain of all time, as skipper one final time? Could they not have gone with someone younger? Is the choice of Dhoni, who is semi-retired, a rational one considering he isn’t the same player he once was? Finally, can MSD at 43 be compared to the MS Dhoni of 35 in any way,…

Opinion is divided. While a section of fans think it is the curator Sujan Mukherjee who is the villain and the pitch is the real story behind KKR’s loss, another section feels wrong decision making cost the Knights two crucial points against LSG. From the very first match onwards, the pitch has been at the centre of this discourse. As journalists our job is to put out both sides of the story. We have documented what Ajinkya Rahane said and also reported what Sujan Mukherjee said to us on record. The truth is both sides have arguments going for them.…

At 80 for 5, Punjab Kings (PBKS) were clearly on the mat. R Ashwin had picked up two and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were in total control. That was when Priyansh Arya decided to cut loose. Ahead of the IPL, not many had even heard of Arya. Yes, there were murmurs that this young man hits the ball hard, based on his exploits in the Delhi T20 league, but that wasn’t much to write home about. Playing in the Delhi league and playing in the IPL are as different as playing for a second-tier Indian club and playing in the…

He has always had a calmness about him. A very West Indian relaxed kind of mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, and be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the candid conversations we had on the IPL and his own approach to batting. Not overawed by the 21-crore price tag or the weight of expectations, Pooran is simply going about his job. He knows he can hit…

Michael Clarke put it aptly. “Jasprit Bumrah is the best all-format bowler that I have seen,” he told me. “I can’t bring Glenn McGrath or Wasim Akram into the comparison, because they weren’t around to play [much] T20 cricket. But since the time T20 started, Bumrah is by far the best all-format bowler to play the sport. At one level, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was between Australia and the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah.” In some ways, he was right. India won in Perth largely because of the excellence of Bumrah. After getting bowled out for 150, it was the Bumrah spell…

The frustration was growing with every passing minute. It was one of those games. Mohun Bagan Super Giants could have scored 6-7 goals and yet, they had just scored one from a penalty. Jamshedpur FC were hanging on and there was every chance of the match going into extra time. In fact, it seemed both teams had kind of reconciled to that as the pace had drooped. That’s when it happened. Apuia from near 25 yards unleashed a screamer. For the 50,000 fans, it literally took a second to come to terms with what happened. Albino, who had pulled off…

The basic perception about an elite high-performance sportsperson is that he or she is fit and in good health to be able to perform at their best. Peak physical and mental fitness is considered a prerequisite for a successful sportsperson. And yet, a large number of these athletes grapple with health issues throughout their careers, and it is a struggle for each of them to bring out their best game on occasions. On World Health Day, April 7, we look at some of these athletes and what they have to go through regularly – things that often don’t get reported…