Author: Boria Majumdar

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…

The relationship that Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli share is best summed up by an incident that occurred on November 16, 2013, Tendulkar’s retirement day, and he himself had narrated it to me. “As I reached the dressing room post the presentation ceremony and after my speech and was sitting all by myself Virat walked up to me,” he said. “I could see tears in his eyes and he came up to me to give me something very special. He said his dad had given him this (a family heirloom for good luck) and he always wondered who he would…

On Thursday, I had a long chat with Savita Punia. After 300 caps for India and a stunning save in the shootout to give India a famous win, Savita is back, and how. My colleague Rohan Chowdhury was keen to do an interview and celebrate the effort, and that’s why I had called her. “I will always remember what you had said that fateful night when we lost to Japan,” she told me. “My father and husband are both aware. I was about to retire, and you had literally stopped me from making the mistake. Will always remember it.” For…

Michael Clarke will be commentating on the IPL. His podcast, the Beyond 23 podcast, all of us watch. He’s spoken at length about the Champions Trophy and this interview is also leading into the Trailblazers Conclave. Question from Gargi Raut of RevSportz: If India wins the Champions Trophy, like the T20 World Cup, should Rohit Sharma retire on a high or would you want him to continue? I think it’s up to Rohit. I think with a lot of these senior players in all teams, not just India, when you’ve given so much to your country, you’ve played for such…

Pullela Gopichand has been in the news the last few days. After his comments on who should play sport in India went viral, we have seen many different interpretations of it in the media. It is with great pleasure that we announce that Gopichand is coming to the Trailblazers Conclave next week, to interact with the audience on each of the issues he has raised. Why did we pick Gopi? Why is he special? How does he produce a good player, I had asked him once. I was aware the question doesn’t have a straightforward answer. There is no mathematical…