Author: Boria Majumdar

The stage is set at the Dubai International Stadium as India prepares to take on arch-rivals Pakistan tomorrow in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue started their campaign with a win over Bangladesh, while Pakistan suffered a defeat against New Zealand. For Mohammad Rizwan and his team, this is a must-win clash to keep their tournament hopes alive. Ahead of this highly anticipated encounter, former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik had a candid chat with RevSportz’s Editor-in-Chief, Boria Majumdar. Malik shared his thoughts on Pakistan’s chances, the struggles of Babar Azam and Virat Kohli, and much more. Q:…

It was October 27, 2018, a date I remember as the Deodhar Trophy final was being played between India B and India C at the Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium). For the uninitiated, the Deodhar Trophy has been India’s zonal one-day tournament for years, but of late, has lost both relevance and context. But that year, it was being played in the Challenger Trophy format. Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer were two of the biggest attractions during that final and scored big hundreds. Frankly, we remember little about the match, but an incident that happened afterwards has stayed…

“I want to perform for the team in all formats,” Mohammed Shami had said in one of our conversations last October at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). “I am not bothered about the colour of the ball. Any time the selectors, coaching staff, captain show faith by giving the ball to me, all I want to do is to fulfill my responsibility as a bowler. I don’t think too much about records and all, or which format I am playing. If you are playing for India, you have to give your best. That’s it.” What he also said was…

It was the night before the start of the 2011 World Cup in Dhaka. I remember leaving the stadium around 1:30 am expecting the ride to the hotel to be smooth and swift. Normally, it takes 2-3 hours from Dhaka to Mirpur, with the world’s worst traffic greeting you every step of the way. To my surprise, there were 6000-8000 people outside the stadium at that hour shouting slogans and enjoying themselves. Most did not have tickets to the game the next day but were just there. Bangladesh had beaten India in the 2007 World Cup, and local fans were…

Babar Azam was once compared to Virat Kohli. It was said that he was as talented as Kohli or Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson. He was Pakistan’s answer to greatness. What we saw on the opening day of the Champions Trophy – the first major tournament his country has hosted since he was a toddler – was Babar’s ultimate fall from grace. Chasing 321, Babar scored 64 off 90 balls in an innings that was not just painful to watch, but also infuriating and deeply frustrating. Here was a former Pakistan skipper engaged in what, to the rest…

It was 9.30pm at Edgbaston and the presentation had just ended after a thrilling Champions Trophy final. The Indians had completed their victory lap and were gradually making it back to the confines of the dressing room. Outside, however, the party was just about to begin. As I walked out of the media gate, E3, to get to the car park and start the drive to Oxford, I was confronted by a sea of blue. It was simply an Indian takeover of Edgbaston. There was a human chain with close to 1,000 people and each of them was singing “Hum…

It was the India versus Pakistan encounter at the 2019 World Cup and I was in Manchester a couple of days ahead of the match soaking in the atmosphere and building up to the game. Curry mile, the desi hub in Manchester, was all decked up. New items on the menu in almost all of the restaurants to multiple events with cricket stars for the thousands who had trooped into to the city, this was a Manchester that had been completely Asianised. And most of the fans had flown in from India or Pakistan or the huge South Asian diasporas…

Much was said about the competence of umpire Gayathri Venugopalan. She was heavily criticised on social media for some of her decisions, with many claiming her errors cost Mumbai their opening match against Delhi. The main debate was whether a batter should be given out the moment the stumps were illuminated or only when the bails were completely dislodged. Now, the WPL authorities have clarified the ruling, and it turns out Gayathri was indeed correct. She followed the directive issued by the BCCI and match officials, which stated that a batter could only be given out when the bails were…

If there is one team whose fans can match India’s for intensity, it is Bangladesh. Their media is also an extension of the team, and will be there in numbers to support Najmul Hossain Shanto and the boys in ICC events. If Shanto’s pre-departure press conference was anything to go by, Bangladesh seems determined to make a mark and play to potential. With a pace attack that is perhaps the best they have ever had, they know they have a chance. They also know India will come hard, and in Dubai there will be a really nice build-up to the…

Sport and music are very closely connected. The rendition of the national anthem ahead of a match is key to setting the tone. You can see the players getting involved and that’s what helps the supporters to also get going. And in a multi-discipline event, the greatest moment for an athlete or a fan is to see the national flag go up during the medal ceremony and the anthem played. You ask any athlete, and he or she will tell you that listening to the national anthem is the greatest moment of their sporting life. Music is also part of…