Author: Boria Majumdar

As I sit down to write this piece, India’s Women’s T20 World Cup campaign is over. Inconsistency and the inability to chase down totals has impacted the team hard, and the pressure, needless to say, will mount on the captain and the coach. Interestingly, it has always come down to that one crucial game for India in key tournaments. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games final, it was the very same Australia. The script was the same in the T20 World Cup semi-final in 2023. India lost to Australia and were out. That 2024 has been no different is what leads…

As the dust settles on India’s defeat and we come to terms with yet another World Cup exit, unless Pakistan script a miracle tonight, it is important to keep calm and exercise restraint. No one is hurting more than the players, and it is important we empathise while still asking the tough questions. While no over-the-top reaction is required, it is important to take stock and introspect. Analyse what went wrong, and why it happens time and again with the women’s team. The one difference between Australia’s approach and India’s lies in the fear of failure. Australia played without fear,…

We now know that victory alone may not be enough. In fact, it is more than likely that India will return home on Monday. And yet, a win is all that we need. It is essential for the future of the women’s game. To be able to say that it was one bad game against New Zealand that cost India, and that the team responded by beating the best in the world in Australia. We will indeed lament the lack of intent against Pakistan, and argue that the approach cost us dear. But all that is for later. For the…

There are less than 36 hours to go before India take the field against Australia for their all-important T20 World Cup game. It is clearly one of the most significant matches the team will play, and nothing but a win will suffice. And the two players who will have to lead from the front and take responsibility are Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. Both played well against Sri Lanka and found form. But then, that was Sri Lanka. There is a massive difference between them and Australia, and both women will have to be at their best to make a…

Everything that could come good for India did so against Sri Lanka. A superb start followed by a brilliant effort from the skipper, a decent cameo from Jemimah Rodrigues and then a fantastic bowling and, more importantly, fielding effort. By winning as they did, India also got their net run rate (NRR) back on track. But the question is, will it be enough? Can we now say that India have managed to reopen the semi-final doors after two underwhelming games in Dubai, or is that premature? First, New Zealand have two games left. Their final match is on Monday, October…

It was back in 2015 that I asked Rafael Nadal this. “You have been plagued by many injuries in recent times. Have you ever thought that had it not been for injuries, where you would be today? Perhaps a few more Grand Slams, perhaps a higher ranking?” His answer was straight up and candid. “Injuries are part and parcel of a sportsman’s life,” he said. “They will happen. Having said that, I don’t always think about them or about what could have been. It doesn’t work like that. I have missed key tournaments because of injuries this year, but…

Mental Health. Much talked about, but really not well understood. Never really debated. And still not taken seriously. As if it isn’t normal to really deep dive into a discussion on the subject. I can have fever, and it’s okay. I can have pain. But the moment I have a mental-health issue, I am not okay. I am weak, and maybe not good enough. How can someone mentally fragile play sport, and how can he or she be successful? Also, you have to win, for otherwise you aren’t any good. It is a straightforward transaction – win and you are…

Taskin Ahmed tried to bounce out Hardik Pandya. All he did was rock back, and get the bat close enough to the ball to give it the momentum to take it over and above the wicketkeeper for a boundary. And as he did so, he did not even look back to see where the ball had gone. Rather, he was focussed on chewing gum, and he kept doing so till Taskin walked back to his mark with a wry smile on his face. It was typical Hardik Pandya. Swagger of a very different kind. His 39 off 16 balls meant…

For the longest time, the murmurs were heard. And yet, there was a veneer of objectivity and rationality. Somewhere, there was still the notion that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as a parent body, was objective. Not anymore. Not after it unilaterally announced that Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) had apparently withdrawn from the AFC Champions League Two because they hadn’t traveled to Iran. The AFC did so ignoring a Government of India advisory dated October 2, which asked Indians to avoid non-essential travel to Iran given the geopolitical conditions prevalent there. Iran is currently a war zone and the…

Pakistan’s cricket teams, both men and women, are equally poor at the moment. And it is a real problem for the world game. The sport needs a strong Pakistan and, for the moment at least, we don’t have that. The win against Sri Lanka to start the Women’s T20 World Cup campaign was an aberration and, against India, the mediocrity of the side was yet again apparent. India made Pakistan look good at times, and were poor as well. For the India-Pakistan contests to retain their charm, we need a better Pakistan. The cricket world needs a team which is…