Eight years ago Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was the cynosure of all eyes when he won the silver medal at the Athens Olympics; today he sits on the crossroad, says Harish Kotian.
Following the absence of the regular openers, Shikhar Dhawan is likely to be handed his international debut in Wednesday's second ODI between India and Australia at Visakhapatnam, says Harish Kotian.
Sports anchor Mayanti Langer is a familiar face on television, having hosted a series of sports events over the last five years. But the Commonwealth Games has given her instant recognition. Senior Associate Editor Harish Kotian learns how the Delhi extravaganza has changed her life.
Around ten days back the Commonwealth Games Village was described as 'filthy' and 'uninhabitable'. Now, it seems every athlete is falling in love with the place.
Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane tells Harish Kotian the secret of his success at the domestic level, and why he was not surprised at being called up for the England ODI series.
Even in this Olympics year, cricket will hog its share of the limelight, but one hopes the hype will be a tad less, at least for the period of the Games.
With a fit again Rohit Sharma back to lead the side, Mumbai Indians are setting their eyes on another IPL title.
Clearly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggles as captain when it comes to Test matches overseas, as is being witnessed in Australia on the ongoing tour and in England last year.
Harish Kotian glances at the first day's play in the second Test between India and Australia.
As per the rules of the IPL 2022 Players' Auction, which is likely to take place in January, the existing eight franchises are allowed to retain a maximum of four players, including three Indians.
Karnataka pacer R Vinay Kumar tells Harish Kotian he was expecting the Test call-up since he is one of the most consistent performers in the Ranji Trophy.
Former West Indies captain Daren Ganga believes Chris Gayle should continue to play for the West Indies in the T20 format.
Former West Indies captain Daren Ganga is proud of his Indian heritage and has started to trace his family's roots in the country.
It was a moment that not only disgraced Pakistan cricket but the game of cricket overall. And, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were convicted and sent to jail for their role in the spot-fixing saga.
The IPL has made Indian cricketers millionaires overnight. But it is worth risking them at the cost of playing for the national side.
It was a case of talent over flamboyance as India's selectors picked a virtually second-string side for the ODI series in the West Indies.
After a splendid season, where he scored first-ever double century in One-day and climbing the 14000-runs peak, Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday night was named the Indian cricketer of the Year. Our Correspondent Harish Kotian reveals the other winners at the Sahara India Sports Awards.
The Indian Army's sole role over the years has been guarding the country; now it has taken up another major job -- and that is to produce Olympic champions. And one major sport where the army is already making its presence felt is the sport of shooting, thanks to its new talent-generating programme 'Mission Olympics'. Harish Kotian reveals the details.
The absence of a proper drainage system proved to the Kerala Cricket Association's undoing in the washed out first ODI between India and Australia in Kochi, says Harish Kotian.
What went wrong for Team India in England? Harish Kotian examines what contributed to the 4-0 series whitewash.
The 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi, on Sunday.
'Ashwin needs to be more consistent, bowling on the fourth stump line and making the batsman drive on the off-side.'
India's batting was phenomenal in their first two games at the World Cup, but the bowling a disappointment, writes Harish Kotian.
Team India has never been a big fan of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) and they now have more reasons for their continuing displeasure.
Vaibhav Patil, team physiotherapist of the Indian boxing team, tells Harish Kotian how he is able to keep the pugilists in shape.
Following Harbhajan Singh's feat of capturing 400 Test wickets, rediff.com looks back on his five best moments in Test cricket.
The 2011 Indian Premier League Players' Auction proved to be a blessing in disguise for the top cricket stars around the world. A total of 127 players were sold in the two-day auction at the ITC Gardenia hotel in Bangalore, while 12 players were originally retained by the franchises ahead of the auction. Harish Kotian presents a list of auctioned players.
The world of cricket will wait and watch with bathed breath as some of the best players will be up for grabs at the Indian Premier League Players' auction in Bangalore, on Saturday. Harish Kotian presents the Top-10 picks at the IPL Auction.
Not many in the world cricket can claim to pip the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni left the Little Master trailing behind by snapping up a whopping Rs 210 crore endorsement deal.
The who's who of India's sports fraternity was present under one roof to acknowledge the contribution of those who did the country proud in their respective fields. Our correspondent Harish Kotian too was there at the second Sahara India Sports Awards function in Mumbai.
The who's who of India's sports fraternity was present under one roof to acknowledge the contribution of those who did the country proud in their respective fields. Our correspondent Harish Kotian too was there at the second Sahara India Sports Awards function in Mumbai.
Former Indian hockey ace Viren Rasquinha tells Harish Kotian that 'Olympic Gold Quest' is all about producing champions who can win gold medals at the Olympics.
Perhaps Sports Minister M S Gill was right when he compared the tardy build-up to the Commonwealth Games with a typical Indian monsoon wedding. And, as is the case with all Indian wedding receptions, in the end everything fell into place.
Indian hockey star Shivendra Singh is all set to tie to knot with former Indian women's hockey player Nishi Chauhan, later this year. Nishi reveals details of their romance in a tete-a-tete with Harish Kotian.
Twenty-two-year-old disabled England archer Danielle Brown tells Harish Kotian the Commonwealth Games is an opportunity to prove her worth.
Sushil Kumar shocked many when he won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But few were surprised when he won the gold at the World Championships in Moscow earlier this month.
Harish Kotian reveals how next year's cricket World Cup, to be played on the sub-continent, will use the Umpire Decision Review System. A Rediff.com exclusive!
It is imperative that the BCCI works out a schedule for their top stars, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to prevent burnout ahead of the 2011 World Cup.
Twenty20 has taken cricket by storm. While it helped attract a large of number of fans, Tests and One-Day Internationals, the game's other formats, suffered, as audiences dipped, both on television and at the stadiums.
Our Correspondent Harish Kotian takes a look at the players purchased by the ten franchises on day one of the auction.