In Defence of Those Who Refuse to Pay Tribute to Maradona
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In Defence of Those Who Refuse to Pay Tribute to Maradona

A woman Spanish footballer refused to pay tribute to Diego Maradona as a protest against domestic violence – the legendary Argentine has been accused of abuse and assault. For that, she received death threats. But when we tell the story of Maradona, must we not tell the whole truth instead of the decorous, convenient one?
Winning the World Cup as Coach Will Be Ravi Shastri’s Greatest Achievement Since Rewriting Our Cricket Vocabulary
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Winning the World Cup as Coach Will Be Ravi Shastri’s Greatest Achievement Since Rewriting Our Cricket Vocabulary

Is it even possible to describe a close match without calling it “down to the wire”, or concluding, in the end, that the real winner is cricket? In sports pubs and living rooms across the country, among scotch-swilling 50-somethings and cricket-mad teenagers alike, the language of Ravi Shastri reigns supreme. Let’s hope he puts it to use in some fiery dressing room speeches this World Cup.
Why India’s Semi-Final Loss Feels Like a Familiar Heartbreak
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Why India’s Semi-Final Loss Feels Like a Familiar Heartbreak

Although the Men in Blue often win at cricket, irrespective of the format, the failure to win knockout games must sting. The “45 minutes of bad cricket” that Virat Kohli identified as the reason for the defeat to New Zealand was not merely an aberration. Instead, it was another phase of batting failure that has had some part to play in at least four of the five recent knockout losses.
The Star of the World Cup So Far Has Been Shakib Al Hasan
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The Star of the World Cup So Far Has Been Shakib Al Hasan

At the end of the league phase, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has achieved the rare distinction by becoming the first player to score over 500 runs and bag over 10 wickets in a single World Cup. Regardless of who bags the Man of the Tournament award, Shakib has without a shadow of doubt been the story of this World Cup.
PV Sindhu, the Athlete Who Refuses to Give Up
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PV Sindhu, the Athlete Who Refuses to Give Up

With a stunning World Championships gold, the first-ever for an Indian, Sindhu has made an entire country — some still wallowing in the cricket team’s World Cup loss, others in the country’s floundering economy — sit up and dream.
Why We Should All Mourn the Decline of Australian Cricket
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Why We Should All Mourn the Decline of Australian Cricket

Ravi Shastri said winning the Test series against Australia is bigger than the World Cup win of 1983. To be honest, it isn’t even the best performance by an Indian team Down Under, at least in the modern era. That would be 2003, when the Aussies had a team actually worth beating.