RevSportz

In the AFC Challenge League Group A fixtures in Thimphu, Bhutan, the local side, Paro FC, garnered much attention on the media and Internet with their star signing, Keisuke Honda. Honda, one of the biggest names in the history of Asian football – a former AC Milan and CSKA Moscow star – who represented the Japanese national team 98 times at the senior level, was a name nobody would have associated with a club in the Bhutan Premier League. Reportedly, Honda signed for Paro on a one-match deal – the AFC Challenge League qualifier against Church Boys FC of Nepal. However, he was seen playing a few league games and was on the scoresheet as well. There wasn’t much information on the Internet regarding this transfer, and the question of how a football God landed in Bhutan, a low-ranked country in world football, remained unanswered. In an attempt to know more about this unique deal, RevSportz reached out to Karma Jigme, president of Paro FC. Here’s how the conversation went. How did Paro FC connect with Keisuke Honda? Jigme: We reached out to Keisuke Honda through our Japanese agent, who knows Honda. We were in search of a high-calibre, left-footed player. Honda, already actively involved in projects to promote football’s growth in different countries, found Paro FC’s vision highly appealing. Paro FC’s commitment to advancing Bhutanese football and creating more opportunities for local players resonated with Honda’s own mission to elevate football in developing regions, cementing a strong connection between both parties. Read: https://lnkd.in/gzMgbNZ3

Shreyas Iyer was one of the most-talked-about players in the IPL retention process. So was Andre Russell. And Phil Salt. Why did KKR not retain Iyer? Why did they pay the maximum for Rinku Singh – more than for Sunil Narine and Russell? Were they not in touch with Iyer, as some reports claimed? Did Iyer ask for an exorbitant amount of money as some others have suggested? The man to answer each of these questions was Venky Mysore, CEO of KKR. In his first interview since the process ended, Mysore answered all the tough questions. Excerpts from the conversation: Boria: Why did you not retain Shreyas Iyer? He was your skipper. He led you to the title. So why not retain him? Venky Mysore: Shreyas Iyer was the first name in our retention list. However, the retention process isn’t a one-way street. It is not just about the franchise. It is also about the player wanting to be retained, to continue with the franchise. Of course Shreyas was the first name in our list. He was the skipper. That’s why we got him in 2022. Even when he was injured, we had made it clear that the captaincy was there for him to take back. So you can very well understand. However, there are often things that you don’t control. If a player wants to test his market value, and the auction is the best marketplace to do that, it is always fair to let him to do so. That’s what we at KKR have always believed in, and have backed our players. At a personal level, I share a very good rapport with Shreyas, but it is also true he should have the freedom to decide. Read: https://lnkd.in/gaXaDczz Boria Majumdar

He has always had a sense of calm about him. A very West Indian kind of relaxed mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, to be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the long and candid conversation at RPSG House in Kolkata as we settled down to speak about his IPL retention. Shashwat Goenka, now much more hands on than he was a few years back, outlined in detail what prompted the franchise to choose Pooran and also spoke at length about the auction strategy. Excerpts from the conversation: Boria: Shashwat, I will start with you. Why Nicholas Pooran for a whopping amount of 21 crores? Shashwat: As you mentioned before we started, he is currently one of the best T20 batters in the world, and arguably the most destructive. Look at his strike-rate and you will know. Someone who scores at 190 [162 in the IPL] is special. Against RCB, he had a strike-rate last year of over 300. He can change the game within overs and can hit sixes from ball one. In modern T20 cricket, that’s what you will need. Our cricket think tank, Justin [Langer] and Zaheer [Khan] both mentioned this, and there was never any debate who would be our top retention. Read: https://lnkd.in/ggFv4kDh Boria Majumdar

The 2025 IPL will be the 18th season of the tournament. It so happens that Virat Kohli’s shirt number is also 18. Just to add a bit more intrigue, Kohli could be back as Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s captain next year. Maybe the stars are perfectly aligning for Kohli to lead his team to their maiden IPL title? Leaving aside astrology, the bigger question is what are the pros and cons of Kohli returning as the skipper. There are certainly some merits to Kohli again taking over the leadership role. One of the key strengths of Kohli is he c an galvanise the side with his batting and sheer presence on the field. Not just that, the boisterous crowd at the Chinnaswamy is always in awe of Kohli. So, with Kohli back as the skipper, expect the fans to fervently support the franchise. After all, the fans are unofficially the 12th man of any side. Read: https://lnkd.in/g3Zx8GVa

There can be no better day than Diwali/Kali puja to make this announcement. I am delighted to say that Tata Steel and RevSportz will continue to be partners going forward, and the 2025 edition of the Trailblazers Conclave, presented by Tata Steel, will now be a two-and-a-half-day affair between March 6-8, 2025. One of the fundamental pillars of this collaboration has been our emphasis on multi-sport coverage. To support Indian Olympic and Paralympic sport and tell the stories which will inspire the coming generations. Cover events on ground, and create forums for dialogue between all stakeholders of sport, including athletes, policy makers and administrators. Read: https://lnkd.in/g_Z_vnKV Boria Majumdar

Mohammedan Sporting Club’s journey in the ongoing ISL (Indian Super League) has been topsy-turvy. They started with a narrow loss followed by a draw, but Andrey Chernyshov’s boys received praise for the football they have been showcasing since day 1. They even won a game away in Chennai by a fine margin. However, the Black Panthers had to suffer a 3-0 defeat in the Kolkata Derby to Mohun Bagan Super Giants. Since then, they lost their other two games in the league, 2-1 to Kerala Blasters and an astonishing 4-0 against Hyderabad FC. We often talk about winning mentality and how athletes’ mental health is directly related to their performance. Their back-to-back defeats have received much backslash from the fans. There was even an unpleasant incident where a few Mohammedan SC fans threw bottles and crackers at the Kerala Blasters’ players during their match at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan. Such incidents show that the fans are getting restless and the players need to get back to winning ways. Read: https://lnkd.in/g7S9Pd9M

December, 2017. He had just about settled down in his chair for the interview when I decided to spice things up a little. “Cristiano Ronaldo claims he is the greatest,” I said. “How do you react to it?” As his interpreter translated the question for him, I thought I sensed a degree of unease. I was wrong. All of a sudden, he burst into a fit of laughter. And interestingly, it continued for nearly 15-20 seconds. “Cristiano is a very good player,” said Diego Maradona, before pausing. “But, greatest?” He looked at me, and just indicated himself with the certainty that made him what he was. A temperamental genius, and the most charismatic footballer ever. I tried one more time. “If [Lionel] Messi does lead Argentina to a World Cup win, do you think he can claim to have equalled you?” I asked. This time round, the answer was immediate. “Leo can never be Maradona.” Read: https://lnkd.in/gHhDW25P Boria Majumdar

“I still remember the day Morgan (Trevor) sir came to the club for the first time,” expressed Saumik Dey, former East Bengal captain, his voice laced with gratitude. “Tall, sharp, in a suit – a gentleman. He had some charisma.” Dey, who captained East Bengal in 2010 and played close to 300 matches for the club as a left-back, delved nostalgically into the glory days under their favourite “Morgan sir. In a candid conversation, Dey shared memories of the club’s resurgence under Morgan and the remarkable unity he instilled in the team. The conversation also aimed to shed light on what has been going wrong for the current East Bengal squad. Dey, an integral part of the club’s golden era, winning multiple trophies like the Fed Cup, Durand Cup, Shield, and numerous Calcutta League titles, recalled the transformative days when Morgan took charge of the Red and Golds. The team was going through a rough patch, morale was low, and motivation was scarce. Read: https://lnkd.in/g7_vJdTx

There is no question that Rohit Sharma has not been at his best in red-ball cricket in recent times. Compared to the Rohit we saw in England in 2021, the Indian skipper seems to be in a hurry each time he is out there in the middle. It is as if he is bringing his white-ball approach to the red-ball game, blazing away from ball one to try and get himself out of the rut. Maybe that’s where he needs to take a step back and pause. Ask himself what worked for him in red-ball cricket in tough batting conditions. How many balls did he leave in England in that 2021 series, where he was clearly India’s best batter? What was his approach then, and what has changed since? Soon after coming back from England in 2021, Rohit joined the Mumbai Indians camp for the IPL. And in one of the net sessions, he was batting under the watchful eyes of Mahela Jayawardene. At one point, by Rohit’s own admission, Mahela walked up to him to remind him that he was back to playing white-ball cricket and there was no need to leave so many balls outside off stump. Mentally, Rohit was still in England, and the red-ball mindset. Leaving balls outside the off stump had become second habit, and it was all in his mind. He was doing so naturally, for it had been internalised during the tour of England. Read: https://lnkd.in/g_HQ4JW5 Boria Majumdar

New Zealand have humiliated India in India, clinching an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing three-match Test series. After 12 years, India’s unbeaten streak at home has come to an end, and with one more Test remaining at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Indian fans are growing anxious about the team’s form – especially with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia on the horizon and their place in another World Test Championship final uncertain. In an exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz Editor-in-Chief, former India cricketer and chief selector MSK Prasad shared insights on the team’s struggles against spin, the quality of spinners moving forward, the futures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and the challenges ahead in Australia. Boria: What has happened in the last few years that we do not play spin well? What is the problem? Prasad: I would like to remind you that in the last few years – maybe 14-15 years, ever since the IPL has come – slowly, there is a switch of players’ mindsets from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket. Ever since that switch has come, everybody wants to play white-ball cricket and eventually play IPL, but not for India. That is a big, alarming thing. Read: https://lnkd.in/gFp9a36V Boria Majumdar