Author: Boria Majumdar

India had just won the final ODI in Vizag and had also taken the series 2–1. It was another white-ball series win under Gautam Gambhir, and yet he was subjected to serious abuse on social media. Sample this: “India is winning despite Gambhir, not because of him,” said a viewer on our show. “Gambhir has no role,” he went on to suggest. This viewer isn’t alone. There are many like him, and the narrative is that Gambhir isn’t doing the job expected of him. The truth is that in white-ball cricket, he has done a fine job. If India is…

On Sunday, December 7, Smriti Mandhana issued a public statement saying that her wedding had been called off and asked people to respect her privacy and that of her family. Shortly afterwards, Palash Muchhal did the same. I am absolutely not concerned about what transpired, or who is right and who is wrong. What led to this isn’t my concern at all. What is concerning, however, is that both of them had to issue statements under extreme social media pressure. A man and a woman, for whatever reason, have decided to call off their wedding. When you think about it,…

As my readers go through this column, I am on a flight to Chennai (provided it isn’t cancelled) to help Ravi Ashwin with his mock auction. With Ashwin, things are always interesting. He thinks out of the box and is never averse to taking risks or trying new things. His foray into the digital media space is one such example. Ashwin is a wonderful speaker and could easily have landed a commentary contract that paid him more than enough. In fact, he can do so at any point in time. However, he has chosen not to. Instead, he is intent…

Much was said about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the Australia series. In Australia, it was Rohit who won the Player of the Series award with a total of 201 runs. Against South Africa, it is Kohli who has delivered, with two hundreds and an unbeaten, sublime fifty to his name. Performance. That’s what ultimately matters in sport, and both of these legends have stood up for India. It was Rohit who set up the run chase beautifully tonight and even helped Yashasvi Jaiswal get into his groove. And then, it was Kohli who sealed it with some…

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…