As India prepares to take on Sri Lanka, the think tank might spend time deciphering Lasith Malinga, for he could probably be the biggest threat. The ones who haven't faced him enough might be a little wary.
Aakash Chopra writes.
The irony is both delicious and extraordinary. Just as Indian cricket is mired in a messy crisis, dragged down by controversy and conflict, the cricket team is surging ahead confidently, seemingly unstoppable in the Champions Trophy.
Amrit Mathur reports.
A cricketer has to keep his side of the bargain — which is to play good cricket. And clean cricket. How unpleasant it would be for cricket lovers to begin to view every no-ball or wide with cynicism and doubt.
Aakash Chopra writes.
Recent revelations have left cricket shaken and stirred. Ordinary fans, the key stakeholders, are outraged by the brazen deception and cheating; purists are distressed by the naked greed of players and the serious threat to traditions.
Just when cricket, like global warming, appears to be dangerously close to a tipping point following the latest spot-fixing scandal, two young players unveil themselves and partly restore faith in the game. Ian Chappell writes.
One of my favourite pastimes is to get on to YouTube and search for thematic cricket clips. Sometimes, it is Steve Waugh playing a dogged innings, sometimes the search is on Mark Waugh’s delightful batting or Allan Donald’s hostile spell. Gautam Gambhir writes.
We are at the business end of the tournament and it is worth reflecting on the journey that has brought us at Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad to this stage.
Anil Kumble writes.
To say the least, I am shocked to learn that Sreesanth, my India teammate, is allegedly involved in the most heinous act that a sportsman can commit.
Gautam Gambhir writes.
There was a time when cricket looked upon T20 as a saviour. However, following revelations of another major corruption scandal in the lavish spending Indian T20 league, officials must now be wondering about the wisdom of opening up more fixing avenues to the crooks.
Ian Chappell writes.
The disgust and outrage over spot-fixing is justified because corruption destroys the foundation of sport and fair play. The outrage and anger in part is because cricket is so precious to us. And in a country as diverse as ours, cricket is fantastic glue.
It's been a gloomy couple of days in the league due to the sad news about the spot-fixing scandal. A lot's already been said about what's happened, so I'm not going to add fuel to fire.
Chris Gayle writes.
I love the spectacle of dancing down the crease, one, two and three….bang the ball sailing over the head for a six. The romance of the bat chasing the ball is so enchanting. I compare this stroke for my love for the black Yamaha RX 100.
Gautam Gambhir writes.
It's never fun to get a taste of your own medicine. That's what I realised in the match against the Kings XI Punjab when David Miller capped off an amazing knock by dispatching me for a six to win the game for his team.
Chris Gayle writes.
Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga are completely different bowlers who rely on totally different skill-sets, writes
Anil Kumble.
Despite the rich skills of foreign players that light up the T20 league, it is a domestic tournament the BCCI floated six seasons ago with the noble intent of promoting young Indian talent, writes Amrit Mathur.