Author: Boria Majumdar

How do we view Harshit Rana’s impact as a concussion substitute? Was it right on India’s part to use him? Was it within the rules of the game? How about spirit and ethics? Why did the match referee not intervene and disallow it? Jos Buttler said very politely at the press conference that he disagreed with the call. Truth be told, he is within his rights to do so. Harshit was never a like-for-like replacement. And it did not add up in that sense. However, there have been many instances in the past where players have done things which were…

Over the last two days, more than 30,000 people have been to the Kotla to watch Virat Kohli play. Not Delhi versus Railways, but Kohli. And hardly 500 people have been to the Eden Gardens to watch Bengal against Punjab. May be the same number have watched the Karnataka-Haryana game at the Chinnaswamy. While this is proof of Kohli’s star power, it is also evidence that we in India love spectacles and not the sport. Had it been the other way round, there would have been more people to watch a Vidarbha match at the VCA stadium or the Baroda-J&K…

In sport, the only constant is fandom. Rather, it can be said that it is one of the rare constants in human life. Every other choice or preference may change, but not fandom. You might decide to dress differently or eat a different kind of food or live in another country or switch careers, but a Virat Kohli fan at the age of 6 will remain a Kohli fan at the age of 60. However many hundreds Steve Smith might end up scoring, a Kohli fan will always look to him as the Pied Piper of Indian cricket. That’s how…

In all the toxicity between Rohit Sharma fans and Virat Kohli’s supporters, and the ugliness between Rishabh Pant fans and those backing Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah is a breath of fresh air. He is the only Indian cricketer who seems to be universally loved. Take the case of Samson. Just a couple of matches earlier, he was scoring back-to-back hundreds and many said he has cemented his place for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Three matches into this T20I series against England, and his weakness against the short ball is the talking point. Things don’t stop there. There will be…

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are the ones not playing Ranji Trophy games for their respective teams, starting tomorrow. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, who did not feature in the matches last week, will however turn up for Delhi and Karnataka respectively. Ravindra Jadeja, the star for Saurashtra against Delhi last week, will turn up again in what is a must-win game for his team. In sum, most national team players will play just one game. While the clamour to play domestic cricket is good, the fact that most will end up playing just one match raises questions…

What do we want to achieve with the Tata Steel Trailblazers Conclave season 3? What’s the purpose and end goal? How can it contribute to the Indian sports eco-system? What does Indian sport need to do at the moment with an eye on 2036? We have been debating each of these questions for the last month or so. How do we express the philosophy of the conclave in three or four words? While we are conscious of what we want or aspire to achieve, it needs to be out there for everyone to see. What’s next for Indian sports?…

He had just saved the fourth shootout attempt from Great Britain, and it was a spectacular effort, to say the least. Just then, his reaction said it all. Half-crouched on the turf, PR Sreejesh was roaring. And with him, India. He knew his last dance had turned memorable, and the emotions had all spilled out. He was a step away from a second Olympic medal, and a fitting end to a glittering career. Imagine a team playing with 10 men for almost 45 minutes of the match. What does that do to a goalkeeper who knows his team is lacking…

It was the first over of India’s innings, and Jofra Archer was steaming in. The first delivery went past Abhishek Sharma’s edge, and it was evident he was flirting with danger. Had it been cricket from another era, Sharma would have chosen caution. He would have tried to play a couple of balls to get himself in. But then, this is a new Indian T20 outfit, and they live and die by the sword. Off the very second ball, Sharma put Archer away for a four over cover. The intent had been made known. And when Archer tried to tuck…

It was one of the best Sports Business conferences I have been part of. Doing it in collaboration with Professor Vijay Edward Pereira, it would have been a shame had we stopped the collaboration and left it as a one off. Almost each week since the Paris conference we have been planning how to keep working together. And that’s why I have real pleasure in announcing that Vijay, in his new role as Head of the Kedge Business School India (with Vijaybhoomi University) has come on board as Knowledge Partners of the Tata Steel Trailblazers conclave. The idea is to…

He isn’t in the Indian set-up anymore. Neither is he part of the IPL. From being the toast of the nation to being out in the wilderness, Shardul Thakur has seen it all. No one calls him Lord anymore, and the honeymoon is over. A long period out because of injury hasn’t helped, and Lord is no longer the headline. And yet, he does his job with passion and commitment. Just like he did yesterday against Jammu and Kashmir. Mumbai were reeling when Shardul walked out, and despite an injury, he made sure that they reached a competitive score in…