Author: Gargi Raut

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…

Gargi Raut in Dubai India’s penultimate match of the Asia Cup started off on a much lighter note than the previous one against Pakistan. Heading into the game, fans were unbothered with the result of the game, knowing India walked in as the favourites with their final berth sealed. Rather, fans talked about what experimentation they could expect from the team in this match. While many thought that India would refrain from any experimentation, the management had different plans. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl, and the Indian team sheet revealed that Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh…

With India and Pakistan already booked for the Asia Cup final, tonight’s clash against Sri Lanka is a dead rubber. It’s the perfect opportunity for India to try out whatever they want before putting a stop to experimentation ahead of the final. So far in the tournament, India have taken different approaches in every game. For example, the batting lineup has been rejigged according to the situation. In the last game against Bangladesh, Shivam Dube was sent at No. 3, ahead of skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson, who did not even get to bat in the game. In the…

Gargi Raut in Dubai After India sealed its final berth at the Asia Cup following a comprehensive win against Bangladesh last night, Ajit Agarkar, chief selector of the Indian team held a press conference at the Taj Hotel in Dubai to announce a 15-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies. While Shubman Gill leads the side, in the absence of Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja has been named the vice-captain. WTC Stakes Loom Large “Because of the WTC every series becomes important,” Agarkar said while announcing the squad. “The New Zealand home series was a wake-up call.…