Author: Boria Majumdar

I hadn’t met Ajay Jadeja in years. And yet, it was as easy as could be. Jadeja was relaxed and warm and the conversation got going within seconds. “I almost missed the flight from Delhi,” he said. “It was pouring. That’s why I just jumped out and got into the metro. You can reach the airport much faster that way in Delhi.” That was when the conversation turned to Afghanistan and his role during the 2023 World Cup. Gautam Bhattacharyya, who was with us, asked him why it was that he did not take money for the assignment. Jadeja, charming…

How good is Ravi Ashwin, and what keeps him going? Each time you speak to the man, two things stand out. His hunger and his commitment. He just loves the game. That’s really it. Ask him to play cricket with you on the terrace, and he will put his hand up. Ask him to play cricket at midnight, and he will be the first out there. Ask him to rescue India from a tricky situation, and he will do it time and again. A real legend of the game, what defines his cricket is his commitment. He just wants to…

As the India-Bangladesh series starts today, one of the main subplots that I am keen on is how the Indians tackle quality spin. India’s record against the turning ball in recent times isn’t great, and the Sri Lanka series in July was evidence that most of our leading batters struggle against quality spin. Unlike in the past when spin wasn’t an issue for the Indians, things have changed in recent times, and we have seen opposition spinners win Test matches in India. Nathan Lyon, Steve O’Keefe and Tom Hartley have all done well for their teams on Indian soil, and…

It was a hostile crowd to start with. And the match was against the host nation in China. If anyone watched the game closely, he or she would agree that the umpiring left a lot to be desired. In fact, at one point India’s captain, Harmanpreet Singh, was so exasperated with the on-field umpire that he gestured to his players that the umpire was not able to comprehend, nor was he willing to listen! Whether it was bias or home pressure, we wouldn’t know. But the truth is the umpiring could have been better. And yet, at no point did…

It was perhaps fitting that Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were at the crease when Bangladesh started to celebrate. The Test series win against Pakistan will rank as one of their best moments ever in cricket, and very justly so. Beating Pakistan 2-0 in a Test series was not something even the greatest of Bangladesh supporters would have imagined possible. Strange things happen in cricket, and this was indeed one such with serious repercussions for the sport going forward. Test cricket, it need not be repeated, needs such results. Except in Australia and England, crowds have steadily dwindled across…

Neeraj Chopra has revealed in a social media post that he competed in Brussels with a fractured metacarpal. Despite the injury, he went on to finish second, just a centimetre behind Anderson Peters. In his tweet, he also said that he would now aim to come back fitter and stronger, and strive to get better. I just want to add one thing to that –he should also come back happier. I met Neeraj on multiple occasions in Paris. And each time, I felt he was being a little too hard on himself. As an elite athlete, it is expected that…

It was the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) annual prize distribution ceremony, and Mohammed Shami was a special invitee. As host, it was my job to engage him, Ajay Jadeja and Sandeep Patil in a 45-minute chat show. From a news standpoint, Shami was the go-to man. When is he expected to make a comeback? Will he play a couple of Ranji Trophy matches soon for Bengal? How confident is he about the Australia tour and how will he prepare in the next couple of months? There were a number of questions I needed to ask Shami. And the best…

Not too long ago, there were a series of questions asked of Indian hockey. India had lost 0-5 to Australia in a five-test series down under, and there was a national clamour ahead of the Olympics that not all was well in the national team set-up. Questions were asked of coach Craig Fulton and skipper Harmanpreet Singh, and not many gave India a chance in Paris. The team, however, stayed focussed. Each time we met in Bengaluru at the camp, it seemed there was a sense of calm. They were able to cocoon themselves from all the negativity out there…

The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside the decision of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Players Status Committee (PSC) to ban Anwar Ali and directed the PSC to conduct the proceedings afresh. Justice Sanjeev Narula said that because detailed grounds were not provided by the PSC, the petitioner doesn’t not know the rationale for its findings which is in violation of the principle of natural justice besides affecting the appeal. The AIFF through its counsel has submitted before the court that the matter can be heard afresh on 14 September and a detailed order will be passed by…

Indian football is not in great shape. The national team is at its lowest ebb in years, and there is nothing much to look forward to. More than results, the Anwar Ali issue has hogged headlines in the last two months and as I have written earlier, no one really benefitted from the unsavoury saga. In every way, football needs an injection of positivity. Something that the fans can draw on to keep their hopes alive. May be that’s why this year’s ISL is perhaps the most important ever. It has to give Indian football a new lifeline, and restore…