Author: Boria Majumdar

Shreyas Iyer was one of the most-talked-about players in the IPL retention process. So was Andre Russell. And Phil Salt. Why did KKR not retain Iyer? Why did they pay the maximum for Rinku Singh – more than for Sunil Narine and Russell? Were they not in touch with Iyer, as some reports claimed? Did Iyer ask for an exorbitant amount of money as some others have suggested? The man to answer each of these questions was Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR. In his first interview since the process ended, Mysore answered all the tough questions. Excerpts from the conversation:…

He has always had a sense of calm about him. A very West Indian kind of relaxed mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, to be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the long and candid conversation at RPSG House in Kolkata as we settled down to speak about his IPL retention. Shashwat Goenka, now much more hands on than he was a few years back, outlined in…

There can be no better day than Diwali/Kali puja to make this announcement. I am delighted to say that Tata Steel and RevSportz will continue to be partners going forward, and the 2025 edition of the Trailblazers Conclave, presented by Tata Steel, will now be a two-and-a-half-day affair between March 6-8, 2025. One of the fundamental pillars of this collaboration has been our emphasis on multi-sport coverage. To support Indian Olympic and Paralympic sport and tell the stories which will inspire the coming generations. Cover events on ground, and create forums for dialogue between all stakeholders of sport, including athletes,…

Contrary to the popular perception that he has been paid 18 crores, Nicholas Pooran, the West Indies white-ball specialist who was in Kolkata yesterday to meet Dr Sanjiv Goenka, is being paid over 20 crores by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise as their top retention. A source confirmed that it was a unanimous call from the coaching staff to choose Pooran whose astounding IPL strike-rate of 162.29 put him well above KL Rahul, the other option for LSG as a top retention. Pooran, to his credit, has been a stellar performer in T20 leagues across the world and, in…

December, 2017. He had just about settled down in his chair for the interview when I decided to spice things up a little. “Cristiano Ronaldo claims he is the greatest,” I said. “How do you react to it?” As his interpreter translated the question for him, I thought I sensed a degree of unease. I was wrong. All of a sudden, he burst into a fit of laughter. And interestingly, it continued for nearly 15-20 seconds. “Cristiano is a very good player,” said Diego Maradona, before pausing. “But, greatest?” He looked at me, and just indicated himself with the certainty…

We are all talking about the IPL retention deadline. In fact, social media is in a tizzy with all sorts of stories floating around. Come October 31, and it will finally be known to the world who are the players retained by the 10 franchises. While a number of names are already out in the open, there is still conjecture over the fate of a number of key individuals. But that’s not the point here. The point is how the IPL Governing Council and the BCCI have successfully made this process far more interesting than it could have been. One…

There is no question that Rohit Sharma has not been at his best in red-ball cricket in recent times. Compared to the Rohit we saw in England in 2021, the Indian skipper seems to be in a hurry each time he is out there in the middle. It is as if he is bringing his white-ball approach to the red-ball game, blazing away from ball one to try and get himself out of the rut. Maybe that’s where he needs to take a step back and pause. Ask himself what worked for him in red-ball cricket in tough batting conditions.…

New Zealand have humiliated India in India, clinching an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match Test series. After 12 years, India’s unbeaten streak at home has come to an end, and with one more Test remaining at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Indian fans are growing anxious about the team’s form – especially with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia on the horizon and their place in another World Test Championship final uncertain. In an exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz Editor-in-Chief, former India cricketer and chief selector MSK Prasad shared insights on the team’s struggles against spin, the quality…

A week that will forever define New Zealand cricket. In sport, the toughest thing to do is turn things around. Change a bad patch into a good one. Defaat into victory, and adversity into triumph. New Zealand has done it spectacularly in the last one week, and what happened with their cricket could be a good leadership case study. For context, the women’s team went into the T20 World Cup at the back of ten straight losses. No one really gave them a chance. We were all speaking of Sri Lanka as the dark horses that could upset India. Not…

It was always on the cards. And yet, you tend to think there would be fight. From someone. At least two or three of them would put their hands up. Make a difference and be counted. Virat Kohli would turn the clock back. Rohit Sharma would play a captain’s hand. Rishabh Pant would yet again lead India to an improbable victory. It was false hope. India were bad. Rank bad. The Pant dismissal was the turning point for me. A suicidal run, which made no sense whatsoever. He hesitated, and then ran. The ball was going to Mitchell Santner’s throwing…