Author: Boria Majumdar

India had never won the hockey World Cup till then, and were down a goal with Mohammed Saeed having scored for Pakistan in the 18th minute. Thereafter, as Balbir Singh, the manager, recounted, “It was one of the best displays of hockey by the Indian team and they came from behind to beat Pakistan 2-1.” It was India’s first World Cup win, and till date, the only one. It was also the first time the tournament was staged in Asia, and the final was witnessed by a crowd of over 50,000 at the Merdeka stadium. While it would have great…

Ajinkya Rahane as captain is a gamble. And Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), one has to argue, are used to taking calculated risks. As captain, there is no doubting his nous. Australia 2021 was evidence of how good he is. To lead an Indian side without six or seven key players and beat Australia in Australia was no less than a miracle. Rahane had successfully crafted a fairytale. But when it comes to T20 cricket, things are quite different. The truth is, he isn’t a T20 natural and, despite being a senior pro, has not really had an IPL career to…

I have interviewed Rohit Sharma several times over the course of his career. And yet, the best interview that we did together wasn’t aired. It was recorded in February 2020, a month before the Covid virus took over our lives and all sport came to a standstill. At the time, the interview was deemed not relevant and we decided not to air it. It was an hour-long podcast, and may I say, a deep dive into Rohit’s mind as player and leader. He wasn’t captain then, and yet it was evident why he was indeed a leader in the change…

He was key to two of India’s greatest wins. First in March 1971 against the West Indies and then against England in England five months later. Abid Ali had spoken to Boria Majumdar and Gautam Bhattacharyya about these wins for their book, 1971: The Beginning of India’s Cricketing Greatness. Q: You were at the centre of two of Indian cricket’s greatest moments: first, in March 1971, in the second Test against the West Indies in Port of Spain, and five months later, in the series decider against England at The Oval. Fifty years on, how do you look back on…

When you organise something, you are understandably tense. And when it is something on as grand a scale as the Tata Steel Trailblazers conclave, the tension is very natural. One small mistake, and things can go south. You have athletes and sponsors to look after, your viewers and listeners are following your every move, and you can’t slip up. It does take a toll on you. The truth is, I could barely sleep the three days of the conclave. In a period of high stress, you do need your moments. You need to unwind and find ways of doing so.…

When I first launched Backstage With Boria, Ageas Federal Life Insurance was the brand that supported the show. It was December 2021, and the first episode that we recorded in Kolkata was with Sourav Ganguly. It was only fitting that we celebrated three successful years of Backstage With Boria at the Trailblazers Conclave by doing an hour-long session with Ganguly. With the auditorium packed to capacity, it was indeed a highlight of the conclave. Ganguly was witty and candid. He was straightforward and opinionated. The audience lapped up every bit of it, and the session was a roaring success. Sample…

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…