Portugal football legend Luis Figo launched Premier Futsal, a five-a-side game played on a shorter arena, in Mumbai on Tuesday.
'Parthiv has to bat at No. 6, and in that position it is a different ball game.'
Why did the AITA pair Sania Mirza with Rohan Bopanna for the mixed doubles at the Olympics?
Former India cricketers tell Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com why it makes sense to change the Asia Cup format keeping in mind upcoming world events.
Jaydev Unadkat, who earned a recall to the Indian squad for the tour of Zimbabwe on Friday, expressed gratitude to Zaheer Khan, saying the former India pacer helped him improve as a cricketer during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
'He has led India to wins in the World T20, the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. Which other captain in the world can boast of such a record?' 'And if it is about form, then Virat Kohli isn't in the best of form. Neither is Shikhar Dhawan. So what do you do? Drop them all?'
'Anil has been leading from the front right from the beginning and that should rub off on the team.'
In the wake of BCCI president N Srinivasan being asked to step down by the Supreme Court, former India cricketer and parliamentarian Kirti Azad speaks with Bikash Mohapatra.
"It's ironic that Modi visited Tokyo a few days ago and talked about China's expansionism. The key now will be to get beyond such unnecessary controversies and start afresh.'
For all their success together, the red dirt isn't Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis' most favourite surface.
As Michael Clarke gets ready to play the final Test of his career, what will be remembered -- like his predecessor Ricky Ponting -- will not be their many triumphs, but the failure to win the Ashes on English soil.
The All India Football Federation is considering 'legal action' against organisers of Premier Futsal League, headed by legendary Portuguese playmaker Luis Figo.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla absolves his team of wrongdoing in the ill-tempered Ranji Trophy match against Railways.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party is buoyant. The Narendra Modi wave has made a significant mark in the state and saffron seems to be the flavour of the month, says Bikash Mohapatra.
Analysts believe the split of Telangana has helped the ruling party from a massive beating in the southern state with some of the votes swaying in their favour. Bikash Mohapatra reports.
Ragini MMS 2 is a better attempt than its prequel and is worth a dekko, says Bikash Mohapatra.
The Olympics is not just about sport, but tradition.
The challenge for Virat Kohli's team is not just winning the four-Test series, but winning it handsomely.
As we head to the head to the business end of the tournament, that involves three former champions, a look at the players who flattered to deceive, faltering under the weight of expectations, hurting their respective teams.
With a record that was anything to be proud of, the only way India could have beaten the South Africans in the ongoing Test series was by using 'home advantage' to the optimum, says Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.
India's former Davis Cup captain Akhtar Ali discusses the secret behind Leander Paes's success with Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com.
'One year Borg worked on his serve, another year on the slice, the third year on his grip.'
At a time when Indian tennis fans are content with success in doubles competitions, few are aware that Vijay Amritraj was within grasp of the singles crown at Wimbledon.
'The best bet for Indian tennis to win a medal at the Olympics would be having Leander and Bopanna together.' Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com reveals how the AITA convinced Rohan Bopanna to partner Leander Paes in Rio,
'Pakistan is keen on a peaceful process. We would like to have a sustained and comprehensive dialogue process.' 'At one point Pakistan wanted no dialogues with India without the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue. That didn't work then nor will it work in the future.' Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit tells Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com what Islamabad expects from the new government in New Delhi.
One man, who won't be there in the opening game of the ICC WorldT20, was responsible for all four Indian defeats.
From a career-high ranking of 62 in 2011, Somdev Devvarman has plummeted to 279.
126 of Ashwin's 176 Test wickets, points out Bikash Mohapatra, have come on home turf. Half of the remaining 50 have come on similar surfaces in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
For all her achievements, says Bikash Mohapatra, Saina is yet to win either the Worlds, Olympics or All England, badminton's flagship events.
The All India Football Federation said on Sunday that the unsanctioned Premier Futsal, scheduled to begin on July 15, will create unnecessary issues and also expressed serious doubts about the survival of the tournament.
'Even at 42, Leander's ball skills, his reflexes at the net, the hand-eye coordination... nothing has diminished. In fact, he is as good as he's ever been.'
Even as the dust settles down on IPL 9, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com presents his Dream XI.
'He has played enough of cricket under Dhoni to understand he has to stay calm in order to take the right decisions.'
As Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis stand on the threshold of a unique milestone, former India players discuss the Hyderabadi's contribution in the all-conquering partnership with Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.Com.
Pep Guardiola's appointment at the high-flying Premier League club is certainly ill-timed, argues Bikash Mohapatra.
As tennis raise hopes of an Indian medal at the Rip Olympics, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com put things in perspective.
Test series victories over Sri Lanka and South Africa ensured Virat Kohli could justify the team's failures earlier in the year.
Just 54 people turned up on the first day of an England-Pakistan Test a few weeks ago.
As Leicester City celebrates its unexpected title triumph, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com lists similar success stories across Europe's top leagues.
Former media advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Dr Sanjay Baru, the author of the controversial book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' that put Dr Singh in the dock over his alleged unassertiveness on policy issues, however points out that it was during the Indo-US nuclear deal discussions that the prime minister put his foot down and even staked his political future 'for the honour of commitment'. Bikash Mohapatra reports.
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