Author: Gargi Raut

Gargi Raut in Delhi “I want to be the best batter with the most runs in the series, ” said a 25 year-old Shubman Gill in his first press conference at Headingley ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. When asked about how he was planning to balance his leadership duties with his batting responsibilities, he replied: “When I am a captain, I don’t think about batting. When I am batting, I don’t think about captaincy.” India’s young, new captain seems to have nailed the dichotomy of the two identities and while history suggests that many crumble under the weight of captaincy,…

India and Australia are set to battle it out across Australia in an eight-match ODI and T20I series. Although rivalry between the two nations always attracts huge crowds, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s inclusion in the ODI squad has sent ticket sales skyrocketing in Australia. With Shubman Gill being named the captain, fans are taking every opportunity they can to catch a glimpse of two of India’s legends before they hang up their boots in the midst of retirement uncertainty. Cricket Australia has announced that the public tickets for the upcoming T20I on October 31 at Melbourne Cricket Ground have…

Gargi Raut Another era of transition has begun in Indian cricket with Shubman Gill being named the captain of the ODI squad for the 50-over series in Australia. Ajit Agarkar explained the timing of the move, “It is really difficult to have three different captains for three different formats”, he said in a press conference, in Ahmedabad, on Saturday. While Gill took over the reins of the team, Shreyas Iyer was named his deputy. Iyer has had a tumultuous couple of years, being left out of the central contracts and having trouble making a comeback into the Indian setup.…

Gargi Raut in New Delhi Ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships that began on September 26 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, a quiet anticipation was building among Indian para-athletes. After all, they were set to compete on home soil for the first time in the history of the global competition. The JLN stadium was decked out after complete renovation of the stands, the warm-up arena and the impressive MONDO track, the first in the country. After India’s phenomenal show at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and the newfound respect, admiration and popularity among the public for the…

Gargi Raut Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and Paul Fitzgerald, Head of World Para Athletics, addressed the media at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi during the ongoing World Para Athletics Championships. The two acknowledged India’s rapid transformation into a para sporting hub. Fitzgerald, who has led World Para Athletics since 2022, described the championships as a “great opportunity on so many fronts”. He also spoke about how Indian para-athletes have also progressed competitively over the past decade. He recalled how India had only won two medals at the 2015 Doha World Championships compared to the…

In a sports journalist’s life there are cricket tours and then there are cricket tours. Ones that leave lasting impressions, ones that change your outlook towards life and ones that leave you with lifelong lessons. To begin with, the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy was one such cricket tour. Two months on the road, meeting new people everyday, finding a daily but temporary life in foreign cities, where some cities feel like home and some make you want to never go back there. No day is the same and every day is filled with experiences unknown, like walking around the stadium to find…

Gargi Raut in Dubai There are only a few moments in a sports journalist’s life that are etched in memory. Like watching the India team practice at the Sydney Cricket Ground before Rohit Sharma dropped himself from the playing XI in the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy or watching a young Indian team breach fortress Edgbaston before going on to at The Oval to level the series 2-2. But this Asia Cup had more to it than just on-field theatre. As Rinku Singh hit the winning runs, one thing was certain – the drama had just started. The day…

Gargi Raut in Dubai The 2025 Asia Cup final promises to be a high-octane game, with India and Pakistan meeting in the summit clash for the first time in the 41 years of the tournament’s existence. The day started with the news that the Pakistan Cricket Board, only hours ahead of the final, is raising a complaint against Arshdeep Singh’s gesture after the second encounter between the two countries. Later, reports started flowing that Mohsin Naqvi, ACC President and PCB Chief had a briefing with the Pakistan team players where he reportedly said “Do whatever you want, I will handle…

Gargi Raut in Dubai The India-Pakistan clash in the Asia Cup final has become more than just a contest of bat and ball. With it, the responsibilities for a sports journalist have multiplied. For the first time in the 41-year-history of the tournament, India and Pakistan are set to meet in the final, and it will be more than a game. It is a political, cultural and emotional experience that will be followed by millions. For a journalist, the first responsibility is objectivity, which the ACC chairman has failed to display. The atmosphere in Dubai ahead of every India-Pakistan game…

Gargi Raut in Dubai India’s preparation ahead of the Asia Cup final against Pakistan has been near perfect, except two glaring concerns—Suryakumar Yadav’s form and fielding woes. India’s skipper was once the No. 1 T20I batter in the world, but now fans are concerned that Suryakumar’s form has fallen off a cliff right when India need him the most. If we look back on the captain’s last nine innings, he has only managed 87 runs and has averaged 12.42 with a strike rate of 112.98. In the last few matches that the team has played in the Asia Cup, he…