Author: Boria Majumdar

In sport, the first thing that you’re taught is not to take any match for granted. It is also said that there is always an element of unpredictability associated with sport. That’s what brings it close to the election scenario in India. Almost every exit poll had predicted a one-sided match. And each has been proved wrong. It is a simple life lesson. You need to respect your opponent, and do as sport teaches you – play fair, and then leave the result to itself. It has been a fascinating election. And no mainstream pollster was able to predict the…

I am not a political commentator, and politics isn’t my domain. And this isn’t a political piece, by any stretch of imagination. At the same time, it is important to state that from the standpoint of Indian sport, a stable government at the centre would make a huge difference. Indian sport is on the cusp, and Paris 2024 could well be a watershed Olympics for us all in India. The world is interested in the India story, and a good Olympics and Paralympics could help Indian sport turn the corner. A stable government would mean the political class will back…

A clip has gone viral of a fan running on to the ground to meet Rohit Sharma. Just as he does so, the security intervenes and pins him to the ground. A visibly concerned Rohit tries to reason with the officers, and even calls someone from the organisers to suggest they go a little easy on the fan. It worked to an extent, as the fan was escorted off the ground with Rohit looking on. For a second, spare a thought for the security personnel. It is their job to make sure such lapses don’t happen, for if the fan…

India sprang a surprise by opening with Sanju Samson, alongside Rohit Sharma, in the warm-up against Bangladesh. Instantly, it threw up much scope for interpretation. Virat Kohli was not playing the match, still recovering from jetlag. But Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission raised a few eyebrows. Just one warm-up game ahead of an ICC event is not ideal. But the schedule is tight. In fact, India would be playing their first match – against Ireland on June 5 – at the T20 World Cup less than 10 days after the IPL ended. As Sanjay Bangar, former India batting coach, opined on air,…

Soumya Sarkar had bowled the ball on middle stump. In fact, we could even say off and middle. Rishabh Pant, to our complete surprise, had his head down, and with just a flick of his wrists, dispatched the ball over fine leg for a boundary. This was one of many such shots he played that reminded me of Sourav Ganguly’s words just a day earlier. “He is a very special player because he gets the unique angles in a ground like no one else does,” Ganguly had said. “That’s the beauty of his batting.” Anyone who watched him score a…

Much was said on social media on Thursday, when Sourav Ganguly put out a tweet on coaching. As it was known to some, it had nothing to do with Gautam Gambhir or his potential acceptance of the Indian coaching role. Rather, it was just about a brand endorsement that Ganguly does, and part of his commitment to that. So, what does he actually feel about Gambhir? Does he consider GG to be a very good option for India, as many of us do? How does he see the head-coach search panning out? Ganguly answered these questions while sipping a cup…

Sourav Ganguly is always interesting to speak to. He understands the sport better than most and, if he is in a good space and not pushed by phone calls and selfies, gives you multiple headlines in the course of a 20-minute conversation. Friday was one such day. As we both sat in the green room of the Goa Fest planning our session, it was time for a detailed T20 World Cup deep dive with Sourav. From who should open, to whether he is worried about Hardik Pandya’s form, Sourav spoke about a host of issues. Excerpts from the conversation: Boria:…

It is arguably the biggest game for Igor Stimac as India’s head coach. A wrong step will mean India end their campaign on a sour note, and exit the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. It could also mean Stimac has to give up the job, and make way for someone else. A win against Kuwait, however, will change everything. India will be in the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time ever, and Stimac will be celebrated the country over. Moreover, Sunil Chhetri will get the perfect farewell as captain of India, and there couldn’t…

My first meeting with Jagmohan Dalmiya was rather strange. Back home for field research in March 2001, I landed up at the Cricket Association of Bengal office wearing a T-shirt and chappals. I had pages of questions for Dalmiya on the lack of transparency in Indian cricket and was rather aggressive to start with. It was the immediate aftermath of the match-fixing scandal and I was out to expose the rot. Dalmiya, after giving me a patient hearing, asked if I would dress the same way if I wanted to research the MCC’s archives. “You said you are from Oxford.…

The Indian football team arrived in Kolkata amid much fanfare on Wednesday afternoon. The team will play one of its most important games on June 6 against Kuwait, as part of the second round of Asia’s FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. A win will almost guarantee India a place in the third round, while a loss will mean Indian football is pushed back by a good few years. A loss would also mean Igor Stimac, the head coach, will have to make way and, all of a sudden, the sport would have lost all gains made in the past five years.…