Author: Rahul Giri

G Rajaraman Sanjita Chanu, the two-time Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold medalist, could have had her doping-related ban reduced by a year to three years had she chosen to work on a result-management agreement with the National Anti-Doping Agency, rather than make an emotional plea before the National Anti-Doping Disciplinary. When the Anti-Doping rules presume intentional use of a prohibited non-specified substance and place the onus on the athlete to prove otherwise, Sanjita had no defence. She said she had been very careful about her food and supplementary intake since she was aware of the risks. She denied consuming…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay Defending champions versus the aspiring ones is always going to be an exciting match. On paper, there is very little to choose between the teams, we all know that. The IPL is such a competition which more often pits two evenly-balanced sides against each other, every evening. This should not be any different. Yes, there will be performances and under performances, but until these have happened, nobody can say which side it is going to tilt. This is a stage where there are no favourites and underdogs, to use the cliché. On a given day, anything can…





G Rajaraman Chennai Super Kings marked their return to their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with a 12-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring Tata Indian Premier League game on Monday night. On a track that challenged the bowlers to remain accurate while attempting changes of pace, and set them up for punishment each time they faltered, Chennai Super Kings’ batting depth came to the party as they made 217 in 20 overs. After a 110-run opening stand between Rituraj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, they looked like losing momentum but found a second wind…

The Mind Maketh the Man Even more than his gifts in front of the stumps and behind it, it is his mind that sets MSD apart. By Boria Majumdar I was at Bhubaneshwar airport when MS Dhoni walked out with just a few balls left of the CSK innings. The television set in front of boarding Gate 1 on the ground floor, which till then had no takers, was all of a sudden the object in demand. Anyone who did not have their mobiles open to Jio Cinema had queued in front of the TV. In fact, the crowd…

G Rajaraman There was only one problem. Perhaps unforeseen. The 20-year-old athlete’s motivational speech packed all the elements to touch the even the heartless –triumph against all odds, bullying, body-shaming, nepotism by unscrupulous officials and an unbreakable bond with the sport. If it was meant to shock the audience of doctors and draw its sympathy and appreciation, it seemed to have hit bull’s eye. Indeed, there was only one problem. An inspired soul posted a video of the speech and soon many holes appeared in the ‘inspirational’ story that some of the best athletes in the sport were…



His numbers may have been average, but the esteem with which his contemporaries and rivals remember him offers a much more accurate picture of Salim Durani’s qualities as a cricketer. Here is an interesting exercise for you. Find any Indian cricket fan over the age of 60, and ask them how they’ll remember Salim Durani, who passed away at the age of 88 on April 2. Chances are that the answer will mention his six-hitting prowess and the flair with which he played the game. Now, head to the record books and check how many sixes Durani…