Author: WebDesk

When Qatar and Ecuador kick off at the 60,000-capacity retractable-roof Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, it will make history in more ways than one. If you leave aside the initial competitions played before World War II – England and other select nations didn’t even bother to participate until 1950 – this will mark the first time that a host nation is also making its debut at the biggest sporting show on Earth. It will also be the first time since 2002, when the Teranga Lions of Senegal shocked France, the defending champions, that a team making its debut in…

The Missing An All-Star XI of talents who won’t be at the World Cup finals in Qatar   Let’s get one thing out of the way first. You don’t necessarily need to play a World Cup to be considered a football great. Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina, Colombia and Spain) never got to play in one, and neither did the legendary George Best (Northern Ireland). The tournament never saw the best of Marco van Basten (Netherlands) or Antonin Panenka (Czechoslovakia), and the great Eusebio (Portugal) played only in 1966. There’s little doubt though that eye-catching performances on the global stage enhance…

-Boria Majumdar Not out on 38 overnight at the end of the first day, Sachin Tendulkar set the Wankhede alight with some breathtaking shots first thing in the morning on Day 2. A trademark straight drive for four to bring up his fifty, the “Sachin, Sachin” chants were going through the roof in the near-packed stadium. Can he get that elusive hundred in his last innings? That was the only question doing the rounds. He couldn’t. But what he did was no less. Vintage batsmanship to finish off, he had given his fans something they will cherish forever. The walk…

 Here’s Kaushik reviewing the 2nd round of Vijay Hazare Trophy. Watch in:

 IPL 2023 Retention List: Update on Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Abdul Samad and more.

 Shardul Thakur has been traded to Kolkata Knight Riders. Delhi Capitals free up INR 10.75 crore after the trade ahead of IPL 2023 auction.

-Boria Majumdar How good is Ben Stokes and is there anything that he can’t do? Be it the world cup or the IPL or even the Ashes, Stokes has had maximum impact on a competition each time he has played in it. An extraordinary athlete, Stokes is always in the game and what you get from him is 100 percent commitment each time he steps out for his team. Blessed with incredible talent, Stokes has honed his skills over the years and is now in that zone where he can hardly put a foot wrong. And more important is his…

 Reactions of disappointed Pakistani Fans after their defeat in the Final against England. #engvspak #t20worldcup #england #pakistan #final

-Boria Majumdar It is the best cricket ground in the world to play a final. 100024 spectators cheering for 22 gladiators as they make their way out to the middle, the atmosphere will be electrifying even if the Indians aren’t there. Also let me state at the outset that Pakistan is the only side that is perhaps capable of beating this England team. They will start rank underdogs but with a nothing to lose approach, Babar and his men can indeed trouble Jos Butler and his team. Pakistan was in coma to start with. Some of their media who I…

-Boria Majumdar As the dust settles on the Indian defeat and we come to terms with yet another semi-final exit, it is important to keep calm and exercise restraint. No one is hurting more than the players themselves and it is important we empathise and back the team. While no over the top reaction is required, it is important to take stock and introspect. Analyse what went wrong and why is it happening time and again? The one difference between the English and Indian approach is fear of failure. England played without fear while the Indians were scared of losing.…