Author: S Kannan

Jasprit Bumrah being rested for the fourth Test against England appears to have been one of the most brainless decisions taken by the Indian think-tank in recent times. Watching the prosaic home bowling attack in the first innings of the fourth Test – where debutant Akash Deep’s burst with the new red cherry did result in an adrenaline rush for the fans – what panned out was a reminder of how much Bumrah was missed. The way England scored in the first innings in Ranchi, to put on 353 runs, allowed them to seize the initiative. Had Bumrah been bowling,…

The Wrestling Federation of India, now recognised by the world body (UWW), has dug its heels in and is going ahead with its business, starting with holding trials to select the Indian teams for the Asian Wrestling Championship and the Asian qualifiers for the Paris Olympics. UWW recognition means that WFI will be the body that can send entries to international events. However, the ad hoc body, formed by the Indian Olympic Association to run the sport after WFI’s recognition was suspended by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has also announced trials in Patiala. In a circular issued…

Hockey India is known for sacking coaches. If you go through the list of names jettisoned, the hall of shame is shocking. Terry Walsh, Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs, Roelant Oltmans and Harendra Singh were all booted out, unceremoniously. The lone exception was Sjoerd Marijne, the Dutchman who read the writing on the wall after the Tokyo Olympics. Marijne, famous for guiding Rani Rampal’s side to a fourth-place finish at the Games three years ago, left the team in tears. He decided to say adios after the team returned from Japan. To say that Marijne was emotional would be stating the…

Ramkumar Ramanathan has been one of the quiet performers in Indian tennis. Be it at the Chennai Open, which was India’s biggest ATP Tour event,or the Davis Cup, Ram, as he is addressed by all, was a solid singles player. After all, he had beaten even SomdevDevvarman during his peak in 2014. Ramkumar’s adrenaline-fuelled performances in the Davis Cup, including the star turn for India in Pakistan, earned him plenty of praise. Zeeshan Ali, the coach-cum-captain, had in a recent interview with RevSportz, praised the courageous efforts from Ram. That was despite the Chennai man’s reluctance to play on grass!…

You can call it the A to Z of Indian sport who will be present at the RevSportz TrailBlazers 2.0 on March 7 and 8 in Kolkata. This is the biggest sports conclave in India and maximum care has been taken to ensure there is an equal opportunity for the two genders – men and women – to voice their views. Still guessing? A for Abhinav and Z for Zareen, the two athletes who have so much to share on shooting and boxing. As it were, the star cast at the conclave has attracted attention, aroused interest and instilled desire.…

Trust the Englishmen to crib, cry and complain. They have done that repeatedly, whenever they have come to India for a series in Test cricket. For those not statistically inclined and who can recall the past, the visitors have always created enormous hype leading to hope. In the end, what has usually happened is that England have lost, and then looked for excuses. This time, in early 2024, Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum came to India, ready to challenge the home side. What happened in the first Test in Hyderabad, where England stole the show, was scary for the…

Pop the cork, pour the bubbly. Say cheers to the Indian ladies’ badminton team after they defeated Thailand 3-2 to win a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championship in Selangor, Malaysia on Sunday. Led by PV Sindhu’s return to form and inspirational performances from the doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, it finally boiled down to Anmol Kharb delivering the heavyweight punch in the fifth match to seal the deal. Sindhu routed Supanida Katethong in straight games, 21-12, 21-12, but this was a day when collective efforts were required, in the real sense. Gayatri and…

RevSportz Exclusive Celebrity status, this is something new for Rohan Bopanna. All along, the tall, smiling and strapping Coorgi has preferred to maintain a low profile. More than 25 years after his tennis career began, the doubles ace is enjoying the attention and adulation. In a freewheeling chat with RevSportz, before resuming his tennis season with Matt Ebden in Doha from Monday, Bopanna spoke on how he is now embracing stardom. “Winning the Australian Open in Melbourne was one thing but only after returning home do I realise this is big, this is massive,” said the champion, his voice bubbling…

It’s all about ability, not disability. Pramod Bhagat, a badminton player with a large heart and hunger for medals is easily one of India’s best Para athletes at the age of 35. When he won a gold at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago, fans watched in awe as he showcased his skills and swiftness. Afflicted by polio in Bihar when he was just around five, Pramod never lost heart. He loved sport and watching badminton gave him great joy. Yet, for the teenager to take up the shuttle sport and then polish his skills was sheer passion. By 13,…

Sumit Nagal came through a trial by fire, literally, on Friday night at the KSLTA Stadium in Bengaluru. India’s top ranked singles player was in a spot of bother before outslugging Adam Walton 7-5, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the DafaNews Bengaluru Open. Night conditions in the Garden City, situated right in the heart of the Cubbon Park are not easy at all. Yet, Sumit was foussed and pulled of a creditable win against Adam Walton, an Aussie journeyman. Having broken into the Top 100 of the ATP singles ranking on Monday, a high for Indian tennis, Sumit is in…