Author: Boria Majumdar

There are now just a few days until the Leo Messi tour of India. For India’s football fans, it is a major moment of joy. To see the world’s greatest footballer in their midst just six months before the World Cup is truly significant. Yet many, as is often the case in India, have raised questions about the visit: What’s the point of spending this kind of money? What benefit will this have for Indian football, if any? Why spend on this instead of grassroots football? First things first: Satadru Dutta is no social reformer. He is a sports promoter…

Sport is all about miracles, and yes, they do happen. Tony Roche and the faith healer story is one such example. Roche is one of the greatest tennis coaches of all time and had the distinction of coaching Roger Federer, Ivan Lendl, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt. A Grand Slam singles and doubles champion, he, together with John Newcombe, led Australia’s Davis Cup campaign in the 1960s. As a player, he was ranked in the world’s top three in the late 1960s. And this is a story he himself narrated to me over tea at the Jaideep Mukherjea Tennis Academy…

Dew has made 50-overs cricket an unfair playing field. Anyone who watched the matches in Ranchi and Raipur will know what I’m talking about. Whichever team wins the toss bowls first, and immediately gains an unfair advantage over the opposition. And with India’s toss luck continuing to baffle, South Africa have enjoyed a significant edge in both games. While India did win in Ranchi, they weren’t able to defend 358 in Raipur – something that could indeed be attributed to the dew, which made good bowling almost impossible. That’s what brings me to this piece: Why can’t we move 50-over…

Boria Majumdar It was the day of the Empowerment Cup press conference at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club. The programme had not yet started when Suven Raha, President of the club, called me aside, saying he wanted to have a word. He has always been a close friend and someone who tries to make a difference. He told me that they now run an Under-13 girls’ football clinic under the aegis of the club and had roped in Shanti Mallick as coach. They have been doing this for two years and asked if I could consider giving the young footballers…

When people write a history of the 50-overs format in 2075—the format that had its first World Cup in 1975 – Virat Kohli will perhaps be at the top of the pile in terms of players who have played this form of cricket. Fifty-three hundreds and counting, it is not just about the centuries or the volume of runs scored. The truth is he has never lost form in this particular format. Take red-ball cricket. Kohli had an issue with the ball on or outside the off stump. He fell to shots behind the wicket multiple times. In T20 cricket,…

Meeting or no meeting? There seems to be a parallel match going on in Raipur, one in which the interest is even higher. Will the BCCI senior management meet the chairman of selectors and the head coach to discuss the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? While it is perfectly fine for them to meet, the meeting can only have a very limited agenda: domestic cricket. No one in their right mind would want to comment on their places in the side, with Rohit scoring 200 runs in Australia and a stellar 50 in Ranchi, where Kohli led India…

As we celebrate completing four years in the industry and meet for our company offsite over lunch today, it is time to take stock of the Empowerment Cup, which concluded successfully in Kolkata on Sunday with SSB Siliguri winning the competition. The Empowerment Cup is our attempt to promote women’s football. Sixteen teams from six states participated, and the matches—intensely competitive—were all played in Kolkata. Multiple footballers from yesteryears, both women and men, came to support the effort, and the prize money is something we are truly proud of. Local politicians and party functionaries from across party lines also attended…

As we complete four years, it is essential that we have plans in place for years five and six. 2026 is a massive year for sport, and our endeavour will be to break new ground with our coverage. As always, our quest will be to give our reporters maximum on-ground exposure and opportunity. By doing so, we will ensure that as much sport as possible is covered from the venue, and that our athletes are given maximum visibility. The truth is, every sport in India except senior men’s cricket needs support. Men’s cricket has an established base and the space…

Boria Majumdar RevSportz completes four years today. It still feels like the other day when, sitting in a Dubai hotel, I decided to quit the consultancy I had done for nine years and start RevSportz. A disruption was much needed, and I was determined to try and make a change. In these four years, one thing I can safely say is that we have indeed been able to disrupt—and make a difference. None of this would have been possible without the team we now have. Yes, we have our disagreements, arguments, and differences of opinion. Meltdowns too—Shamik Chakrabarty and Sarvanash…

By Boria Majumdar Performance. That’s the only index in sport. Rohit scored 200-plus runs in the three-match ODI series in Australia. Virat scored a magical hundred in Ranchi. As long as they score, and score like this, where is the need for any talk on whether they will find a place in the team? Of course they will, and it is a given. If a batter scores runs at a decent strike rate, all debate is put to rest and the matter is closed. While it isn’t necessary to comment on the 2027 World Cup just yet, suffice it to…