From Langa’s lanes to Lord’s glory, the World Test Championship crown ends decades of despair For decades, South Africa’s cricketing saga was a tale of heartbreak and haunting near-misses. From the cruel rain-rule exit in 1992 to the 1999 semi-final tragedy under Hansie Cronje, the Proteas built a reputation of faltering at the cusp of…
There’s no greater test of temperament and technique in modern cricket than a Test series in England. Swinging Dukes, capricious skies, and relentless media scrutiny—this is the full package. Into this cauldron walks Shubman Gill, not merely as a batsman with a point to prove, but as India’s newest red-ball captain. And make no mistake—he’s…
It has been over four decades since Mohinder Amarnath famously called the national selectors a “pack of jokers.” And yet, those stinging words continue to echo with startling relevance in Indian cricket today. If consistency was ever the defining characteristic of the Indian selection committee, it’s been in its inconsistency. Shreyas Iyer’s latest omission from…
Shubman Gill inherits a legacy, not just a team Maheshwar Singh A new World Test Championship cycle is upon us, and with it, Indian cricket is entering uncharted waters. The retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — two modern-day stalwarts who carried Indian cricket through a transformative era — has created a leadership vacuum….
Four decades ago, during my playing days, there was an unwritten rule: don’t mix politics with sport. Cricket, we believed, was sacred ground — immune to the tides of geopolitical tension. Sport, like the Olympic Games envisioned by Pierre de Coubertin, was meant to transcend borders, race, and religion — a unifying force in a…
In the middle of a tense standoff with Pakistan, when the Indian armed forces are on high alert and the country is practically in a war-like situation, guess who decided it was time to talk cricket? None other than Congress MP and BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who, in what can only be described as…
Even at 70-plus, my love affair with cricket shows no signs of slowing down. The whites still feel like a second skin, and the familiar smell of the leather ball on grass still stirs something deep within. I spend most of my days at a modest coaching camp, guiding young hopefuls in the art of…
As a former cricketer and still as a coach, it’s a special thrill to spot young talent before they hit the national radar. This IPL season, amidst the dazzling performances and billion-rupee bids, two emerging players have stamped their authority with such force that it’s impossible to ignore their potential. Meet Mayank Yadav, the Lucknow…
One would assume that sheer pace is the ultimate weapon in a format dominated by power-hitters, high strike rates, and fast-paced drama. Yet, time and again, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has flipped that script, with leg-spinners emerging not just as containment options but as genuine match-winners. Their ability to disrupt rhythm, deceive with flight,…
The 2025 edition of the Tata IPL has turned the tables on cricketing royalty. Once-dominant franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), with five titles each, are now languishing at the bottom of the points table. In their place, fresh-faced teams like the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants have seized…
