Author: Gargi Raut

Gargi Raut in Delhi On a pleasant Delhi morning, with the winter breeze blowing, Hockey fans woke up early to celebrate 100 years of Indian Hockey, at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Hockey India went all out to celebrate the momentous occasion in the presence of Legends of Indian Hockey, current men’s and women’s team players and the Sports Minister of India. An exhibition match was organised between the Minister’s XI and Hockey India XI. Active Indian hockey players were divided between the two teams as the crowd enjoyed, for the first time ever, a mixed Hockey match. Hockey…

At exactly 00:00, at the stroke of midnight, Harmanpreet Kaur held on to the catch of Nadine de Klerk; a moment now etched in cricketing glory. A rain-delayed start ensured that the match went late into the night. Despite the grim routine of a Monday morning, the Mumbai crowd stayed back at the D.Y Patil stadium to support the team and so did the rest of the nation. Celebrations continued for hours, after all, for the first time in 14 years, the ODI silverware had returned to India. The next morning, a wave of warmth took over social media and…

I first picked up the cricket bat somewhere in an alley, surrounded by boys from my neighbourhood playing a game of cricket. They all talked about the matches, the shots, the players; and it always felt like I was on borrowed time. I was always the “kaccha nimbu”, the spare player, good enough to fill in for either side, but never truly part of the team. They would always be surprised when the ball would hit the middle of the bat; and I would hit it hard. But it always felt like I had to prove something, to prove that…

Rohan Bopanna, a name synonymous with tennis in almost every household in India, announced his retirement today, bringing an end to a sensational career that will be remembered for a long, long time. Fans last witnessed Bopanna in action at the Paris Masters 1000, where he partnered with Alexander Bublik. Speaking about his retirement, Bopanna said, “How do you bid farewell to something that gave your life its meaning? After 20 unforgettable years on tour, it’s time… I’m officially hanging up my racquet. From chopping wood in Coorg to strengthen my serve, to standing under the lights of the biggest…

Cricket’s inclusion at the 2028 LA Olympics is an exciting prospect to many, one that will help the growth of the sport in Associate nations and increase its global standing. International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah and International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry had a meeting earlier this week in Switzerland to chart cricket’s return to the Olympic Games. The two chiefs discussed the progress of the move and how the Olympics can benefit from cricket’s inclusion. “It was a pleasure to meet with IOC President Kirsty Coventry to continue our ongoing discussions on the road to @LA28…

After months away from cricket, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s return to ODIs stirred up a storm in the cricket fraternity. As soon as the BCCI announced the squad, naming both Rohit and Kohli as a part of the team travelling to Australia, ticket sales went through the roof. Their inclusion and its effect was proof of what star power can do to an inconsequential ODI series. In any other scenario, a format that is slowly diminishing – between the drama of Test cricket and the entertainment of T20s and franchise leagues – would not have attracted this much attention.…

Earlier in the year, Shubman Gill, the 26 year old, was appointed as the captain of the Indian Test team for the tour of England. Leading a team in transition with two of Indian cricket’s biggest names having retired, Gill was up for a mammoth task. Ahead of the tour, there was a consensus among fans that if the young Indian team were able to put up a fight against a full-strength English team, it would be a positive start for a new era in Indian cricket. But India exceeded expectations after levelling the series 2-2. If anything, India were…

Badminton’s 2025 French Open, a Super 750 tournament, begins today at the Glaz Arena in Paris, the ‘City of Love’. All eyes will be on India’s favourite badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The two have made a striking comeback after their Paris Olympics heartbreak followed by a year of injury struggles. As they stepped back into rhythm, their recent performances saw them climb back to the Top 10 in the world rankings after they reached the finals of the Hong Kong Masters, China Masters and also bagged a World Championship bronze. The World No. 6 duo also…

Gargi Raut There is a reason why every visiting team to Australia is welcomed at the Perth Stadium for the first match. The wicket in Perth offers one of the toughest conditions to bat on; it offers tailor-made assistance to the fast bowlers with a fast and bouncy track. This very factor led to a top-order collapse of the Indian Team in the first ODI. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill lost their wickets early in the innings, thanks to the Perth wicket and the steaming Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Failing to adapt to the bounce and coupled…

Four days might not seem like a significant amount of time, but that’s all it took for a 12-year-old Arohi Ganesh Aware to gather her strength and step back on to the wrestling mat. Four days after losing her father, the man who had dreamt of seeing Arohi win the Olympics gold for India in wrestling. Arohi, who resides in the remote village of Revadi, a few kilometres away from Satara in Maharashtra, is the first female wrestler of her village. A place where her father dared to dream. To him, wrestling was a promise that his daughter would grow…