Author: Boria Majumdar

Almost all of the 35 athletes who came to the Trailblazers conclave have written to us congratulating RevSportz for the incredibly successful event. Some have tweeted saying this was the best sports summit they have attended. But that’s not the point of this piece. The subject of this column is something entirely different. As a matter of fact, my phone hasn’t stopped buzzing and I have received more than a thousand messages congratulating me for the effort. The truth is it was not me that managed to pull it off. It is always “We”. Team RevSportz. Also, while many of…

He was India’s most impactful performer in the 2023 World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup. Going into the Champions Trophy, he was India’s biggest concern. Captain of India, the question was repeatedly asked: what did Rohit Sharma need to do to get back among the runs? What many had forgotten was that he is one of the greatest white-ball players ever. What makes him different is his selflessness. The Rohit of the 2023 World Cup on home soil was all about taking risks. Playing for the team without really caring about getting out. It paid off for him and…

“I am so glad my daughter will be able to see me in the yellow jersey,” said an emotional Ravichandran Ashwin when asked about his return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. “It means a lot to us as a family.” While saying that he was a bit nervous about the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand, Ashwin called India a cricketing superpower and asked everyone to take pride in what the team has been able to achieve. He suggested we ignore the stupid debate over unfair advantage. If Ashwin set the tone with Deep Dasgupta, offering valuable…

It was yet another spectacular day. Every session was packed to capacity, and every comment was met with applause. Gukesh put it well: “I am here for chess. I want my sport to be celebrated. And this is a very important gathering.” Every sport was celebrated. Chess, hockey, cricket, football, and Paralympic sports. India’s best athletes gathered at the Trailblazers Conclave to enthrall us all. From bursts of laughter when Sreejesh explained why he kept speaking to the goalpost to stay calm in the second half of his career, to Gukesh sharing how he felt just seconds before his bungee…

By the time I had gone up on stage to start the conclave, the hall was packed to capacity. There were some who had to stand and no one complained. The effort was finally coming to fruition. And when Manu Bhaker said “I can tell you now that I am already looking forward to Trailblazers 4”, you realise that the effort is successful. I had asked her very bluntly. For us this conclave means a lot. We had worked for 5 months for it. But for her, who is doing events almost everyday, is it just a box tick or…

Five months of effort. A dream turning into reality. To get India’s very best athletes under one roof, speaking to each other and charting the way forward for Indian sport. Meaningful conversations, inspiring stories, key issues that often go under the radar – Trailblazers 3.0 will have it all. Athletes have already started to come in. In fact, it is perhaps fitting that Dronacharya Pullela Gopichand, our lifetime achievement award recipient at the conclave, was the first to arrive on the night of March 5. Gopi always brings with himself a sense of calm. Seeing us stressed, all he said…

In the 2023 World Cup on home soil, much was expected of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. While Pandya was injured and out of the cup at a critical juncture, Rahul played a painful innings in the final and is still blamed by many for India’s loss. Did the two of them think about that fateful night in November 2023 as they were chasing the Australian total down? Virat Kohli, who played absolutely brilliantly for his 84, had just been dismissed and the match, truth be told, was still in the balance. A wicket then, and it might have gotten…

This match is now the biggest draw of the Champions Trophy. Talking of great rivalries in cricket, it doesn’t get better than India versus Australia. Ticket sales have been encouraging, and if administrators are to be believed, a near-full crowd is expected when the semi-final gets underway. There’s a lot at stake for both these powerhouses of world cricket, each aiming to make the final of the Champions Trophy and give their fans the perfect present. The Indian fans’ hatred of the Aussies is palpable, if you go by the comments that I keep getting on my show. Take this…

As a student of history, I love my artefacts. And a visit to any sports competition isn’t complete without a trip down memory lane. Time-keeping has been at the heart of sport. Careers are often shaped by a millionth of a second. That’s the difference between a gold and a silver, or a medal and finishing fourth. Over the years, we have seen multiple innovations in the domain, and witnessed how the timekeeping process for example changed over time to make sure that no athlete was or is at a disadvantage. Athletes too have often showcased watches as signature memorabilia.…

Pitches don’t win cricket matches. Quality cricket does. However good or bad the wicket, you still need to play quality cricket to win the match. When India travelled Down Under in 2018-19 and 2020-21, not once did we hear Virat Kohli or Ravi Shastri complain about the wicket. Not once did Rohit Sharma or Ajinkya Rahane say the WACA wicket was not up to the mark. India played outstanding cricket and won. So if anyone says India will win in Dubai or have an unfair advantage because of the pitch, it actually makes little sense. Win or lose, it will…