Author: Gargi Raut

When dusting off the book of Indian cricket history and opening one of the very first chapters, you see that in the year 1971, the manager of the Indian team was Keki Tarapore. Since then, the Indian cricket team has had a total of 24 individuals assume that position. With a history so rich and diverse, legends like Salim Durrani, Bishan Singh Bedi and many more have taken on the role. It is puzzling to think about why there hasn’t been a single female head coach or even an assistant coach for the team. On the other hand, when…

A decade has passed since a freak happenstance twisted fate. December 19, 2023 marks 10 years after Formula One’s otherworldly phenom Michael Schumacher’s life turned upside down. F1 community’s beloved ‘Schumi’ has been out of the public eye following an outlandish skiing accident dramatically ended his career in 2013. In the 19 long seasons of Schumacher’s Grand Prix Formula One career, ever since he was about 22 years old, the most serious injury he had endured was a broken leg. But that would change in France in 2013 when Michael hit his head on a rock in a skiing accident.…

From Neeraj Chopra’s dominance to the emergence of Avinash Sable, from the Jyothi Yarrajis to Harmilan Bains! Taking stock of the recent success of Indian athletes and looking at their rising graph, you can’t help but think what is catalysing this. Talking to Adille Sumariwalla, president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), who recently became a vice-president of World Athletics, one gets to realise how much strategic and intellectual effort is being put in to take Indian athletics to the next level. Asked about specific goals and initiatives he plans to pursue during his four-year term on the World…

The Women in Blue sent shock waves through the cricket community as they clinched the one-off Test match against England-W at the DY Patil Stadium last week. They will now look to carry forward the momentum and secure their first-ever Test win against Australia in a one-off Test match starting today (December 21) at the historic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India not only won the Test against England dominantly but also created history by securing the highest-ever victory margin of 347 runs. Ahead of the Test, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has goaded her team to maintain the same intensity against…

As we look back at the highs of Indian sports in 2023, let’s revisit this episode which captivated the intriguing and intricate world of chess. We are talking about Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. This 18-year-old prodigy from Chennai made a telling mark on the global stage at the World Cup held in July-August. He reached the final and took on Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1 and five-time world champion. Pragg had beaten the world No 2 Hikaru Nakamura and No 3 Fabio Caruana before that match in Baku. It is the capital of Azerbaijan and the birthplace of Garry…

Indian athletes left no stone unturned at the Asian Games 2023 as they clinched a record-breaking total of 107 medals. India’s remarkable run in Hangzhou consisted of 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals surpassing the previous record set at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games of 70 medals, 37 less then the current record. The penultimate day of the event, October 7, marked the day where Indian athletes added an additional six golds, four silvers and two bronzes to the tally. One of the extraordinary moments of the day was Jyothi Surekha Vennam’s unstoppable run as she secured a…

In a rare moment in women’s cricket, India hosted a women’s Test match Test match after nine long years. The move, although widely welcomed on social media, failed to manifest the same buzz in the stadium. The stands at the DY Patil Stadium remained eerily empty even as India women trounced England in the one-off Test match. India, having won the toss and decided to bat first, took up the challenge head on. Day 1 and 2 of the match were action-packed as the Indian batting line-up lit up the field with red-hot performances. The scoreboard looked something like this…

In continuation of an inspiring show at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, the Indian women’s hockey team showed that it was no flash in the pan. They won the Asian Champions Trophy held in Ranchi in October-November. In an exciting final, India outplayed Japan 4-0. The atmosphere was vibrant at the Jaipal Singh Stadium, where the home team took on Japan in a match that should be remembered for the Indian team’s unrelenting quest for glory. Fuelled by determination and focus, these women left an unforgettable mark, securing a resounding victory. Opening the charge was local talent Sangita Kumari,…

In a riveting showdown at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi, Nikhat Zareen emerged champion in the 50kg category, defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam. The final, filled with intense moments, concluded with Nikhat securing a well-deserved victory by a unanimous verdict. The scores awarded by four judges — 28-27 — reflected the excitement of the bout. The other judge ruled 29-26. For Nikhat, this was a second successive World Championship gold medal in this Olympic weight category. She had a boisterous home crowd cheering for her. The Commonwealth Games champion relished the sweet taste of gold as she…

In a remarkable act of sportsmanship at the US Open, Rohan Bopanna became the hero of a heart-warming story. On a balmy September afternoon in New York, after a hard-fought defeat in the men’s doubles final, the ageless warrior was seen seeking solace under a towel. But he was the winner that day, for showing the essence of sportsmanship. Bopanna and Australian partner Matthew Ebden were facing the formidable duo of two-time champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. In a crucial moment during the deciding set, with Bopanna and Ebden trailing 2-4, 0-15, an extraordinary incident took place. Ebden executed…