Status Q: Of women's cricket in India and the many questions

It was nice to see Ajit Agarkar sitting next to Rohit Sharma, announcing India's squad for the upcoming ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup, and then fielding questions from journalists. Not for the first time too, since taking over in this role in July. Of course, in an ideal world, that is nothing out of the ordinary. But this is Indian cricket, a press conference with the chief selector present is extraordinary for the times we live in.

China Open, 2023's final Super 1000 event, is full of mouth-watering R32 clashes

In a jam-packed international badminton calendar, we are already at the last of the Super 1000 events. (It's September in 2023, #IDontBelieveIt.) China Open has long been one of the most anticipated events on the tour, and it's making a return to the calendar this year after a 3-year hiatus. But it is a little oddly placed this year, coming just after a memorable BWF World Championships in Copenhagen and just before the postponed Asian Games, a high quality quadrennial event where the badminton field is usually of a very high level.

Relaying it to the world

In the history of the men's 4x400m relay, there have been only 11 times an Asian country has run with a timing better than 3 minutes and 1 seconds. In that small subset, only thrice has an Asian team ever dipped below the 3-minute mark. And two of those timings happened last week in Budapest at the World Athletics Championships when the Indian team of Muhammed Anas, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh turned heads, made jaws drop and, more importantly, ran their heart out. They first qualified for the final with the Asian Record set in the heats and then finished fifth in the medal race. Fair to say, they emerged as a group of heroes after their memorable efforts on back-to-back nights.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

E-asy does it for An Se Young, not-so-easy questions for some not-so-young

If you watched a 17-year-old An Se Young defeat PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Akane Yamaguchi and Carolina Marin in back-to-back weeks across Denmark Open and French Open (the latter she won) in 2019, you would have known you were watching a superstar in the making. It was not even the hardest thing to predict that we were watching a future world No 1 in action.

The golden set: Neeraj Chopra's special night out in Budapest

For a man who sends the javelin soaring high into the sky, it's amazing how down to earth and grounded Neeraj Chopra is. It's a beautiful contrast. Perhaps the only time he allows himself to get ahead of the moment, is the few seconds after he releases the javelin and knows in his heart it's a good throw. Even then, it's not arrogance. It's the confidence that comes with all the hours and days and months of training, away from home and away from the spotlight. It's the two-way relationship he shares with the javelin.

Badminton World C'ships: Looking at Indian shuttlers' draws for Copenhagen 2023

After a long wait since Prakash Padukone's bronze in 1983 ended, Indian shuttlers have been on the podium at the BWF World Championships in every edition since 2011. So much so that in the edition that starts in Copenhagen, Denmark on Monday, there will be a former Indian medallist in three categories.

International hockey makes a memorable return to Chennai

India vs Pakistan in Chennai evokes strong memories for cricket fans. But a hockey match in the city, with a gulf in class and world rankings between the two sides, and scheduled to be played on a weekday night... one wasn't sure if it would be a spectacle that it once was in hockey or currently is in cricket. But the fans turned up in numbers at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Egmore. The stands were tickets cost Rs 400 were full much earlier than the 8.30 pm scheduled start and a hundred or so had to stand and watch the match later on.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Watching sports somewhere.

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Status Q: Of women's cricket in India and the many questions

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

China Open, 2023's final Super 1000 event, is full of mouth-watering R32 clashes

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Arsenal vs Manchester United: The usual dread followed by moments of joy

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Relaying it to the world

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

E-asy does it for An Se Young, not-so-easy questions for some not-so-young

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Of Femke and falls

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

The golden set: Neeraj Chopra's special night out in Budapest

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

HS Prannoy, finally a World C'ships medallist – a short story of 3 chapters

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

A Neeraj Chopra statistic that is worth highlighting

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

Badminton World C'ships: Looking at Indian shuttlers' draws for Copenhagen 2023

Vinayakk Mohanarangan

International hockey makes a memorable return to Chennai

Vinayakk Mohanarangan