Author: Boria Majumdar

What is sport without the winning mantra? For example, how is it that Mitchell Starc produces that peach against Abhishek Sharma in a final, and does so time and again across formats? How is it that Australia inevitably finds something special when it comes to ICC tournaments? How come Neeraj Chopra has not really lost in a competition that matters since winning the all-important Olympic gold medal in Tokyo? How does Mirabai Chanu finds the resolve to come back from a serious injury and be ready to mount a challenge for a second consecutive Olympic medal in Paris? These are…

Average of 77 in IPL knockout games and four 50s to go with it, Venkatesh Iyer, in pressure situations, has been a revelation for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). And in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he literally batted them out of the game in the third over itself, something he said to Boria Majumdar in this exclusive conversation with Revsportz. Getting married soon, Iyer took time out to chat on the Gautam Gambhir impact, what Shahrukh Khan means to the franchise, the Mitchell Starc ball to Abhishek Sharma and more. Excerpts: Boria: There is a lot of talk about Gautam…

Every evening, when I watch the IPL with one eye on the T20 World Cup, now just two weeks away, I have this dilemma. The IPL on its own is great. But the moment it is about the Indians in the IPL, and especially those picked for the T20 World Cup, there is a sudden sense of panic. In fact, in my imaginary IPL XI, no more than two Indians get a place. And that’s what tells me that India’s chances in the T20 World Cup are bleak. Before I get to my IPL XI, let me say that I…

Bharat Arun, former Team India bowling coach and currently part of the IPL 2024 winning Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, has heaped praises on Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora. The twosome played a crucial part in helping the team win the IPL title. Arun has been working closely with the pacer-duo and feels that both have the potential to play for India for a long time. In an exclusive chat with RevSportz, he shared his insights on the promising fast-bowling duo, Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, Gautam Gambhir’s role as a mentor, comeback of Mitchell Starc, KKR’s famed spin-bowling-duet and a lot more.…

“Do you think Gautam Gambhir can make a good head coach for India?” I asked. It was as if B Arun was ready for the question. In fact, even before I had finished asking it, he had a wry smile on his face. And had started answering, stopping me in my tracks. “Gautam has all the credentials to be a very good coach for India,” he said. “Whether or not he decides to throw his hat into the ring is his call, but let me tell you he has every credential that you need to be a good head coach.”…

It was just days after he suffered a debilitating shoulder injury that I had a chat with Shreyas Iyer. He was in pain, but the resolve had not gone away one bit. While he was still unsure if he needed surgery, his focus was very much on the comeback. He wanted the big stage for himself and was determined to make a mark. That he had to undergo surgery and missed cricket for months made him even more determined. A reasonably good IPL has brought Shreyas back into the mix, and what is being talked about more is his leadership.…

In April 2015, the contrast could not have been sharper. On the one hand, there was the Indian Premier League, where Chris Gayle was trying to blast Trent Boult and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar in front of a raucous Bangalore crowd. And on the other, his West Indies teammates – Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach and Jason Holder – were trying to bowl out Alastair Cook’s England in Antigua on a wicket that was offering pace and movement. The first question that came to mind was: Should Gayle not have been there? And Darren Sammy? Ten years down the line, and brand IPL…

I am tired of hearing that Sanju Samson has talent. Yes, he does. But does he bring out his A game when it matters the most? Has he been able to deliver under pressure and make it count when the going is challenging? Will he himself admit that he has not done justice to his ability? Two play-off games, and on both occasions, Samson fell short. An atrocious shot against Karn Sharma had potentially opened the door for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and against Sunrisers, the rush of blood cost his team dearly. Just when Yashasvi Jaiswal was back in…

On Thursday, I did a piece on Virat Kohli where I said he was brilliant for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), but did not get adequate support from his teammates. In my opinion, that is the truth. And as journalists, it is our job to state what we see. Many Kohli fans have expressed surprise, asking how I could praise him! Lest they forget, I have covered Kohli from day 1 of his career, and documented every high and every peak he has scaled. In 2018, one of his best years, I wrote a feature where I said, “WC2019, however, is…

He made 741 runs at a strike-rate of nearly 155. Add at least 150 runs saved on the field, and some incredible athleticism which kept Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the hunt after they had lost seven of their first eight matches. And an inspiration off the field. Virat Kohli did everything humanly possible to win it for RCB. And yet, he ended up on the losing side in IPL 2024. The wait continues, and sport, yet again, is cruel. Real, not reel. While Kohli can be proud of what he did and what he displayed, the truth is his…