Episodes

  • Game Time: Inside the Indian football turmoil

    Game Time: Inside the Indian football turmoil
    Jan 11 2026
    Recently, some of the top Indian footballers made a heartfelt appeal to solve the crisis engulfing the domestic game. There are no broadcasters and no investors willing to put their money in Indian football - and now, the players are staring at a pay cut. This week, Vinayakk, Mihir and Shashank Nair talk about Indian football's freefall and why the game finds itself mired in multiple problems.

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • The Indian Express newsroom's top sporting moments of 2025

    The Indian Express newsroom's top sporting moments of 2025
    Dec 28 2025
    As the year comes to a close, we wrap up 2025 with a special year-ender episode. In this edition, we speak to journalists and editors from The Indian Express newsroom, not from the sports desk, about the sporting moments that stayed with them this year. From iconic wins and unforgettable matches to personal favourites that sparked joy, debate, or disbelief, our colleagues share what made 2025 memorable for them as sports fans.

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • How Olympics turned into a billion-dollar behemoth & India's pitch

    How Olympics turned into a billion-dollar behemoth & India's pitch
    Dec 21 2025
    This week, Amit and Mihir are joined by a special guest, Michael Payne. Widely credited as the architect of the modern sports marketing model, Payne offers a ring-side view into some of the biggest Olympic deals and explains how the mega-event was transformed into a commercial colossus. The former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee -- who recently published his third book, _Fast Track and Dark Deals_ -- also explains what India must be wary of as the country mounts and aggressive pitch to host the 2036 Olympics.

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • How Puducherry became a shortcut to Indian cricket’s big leagues

    How Puducherry became a shortcut to Indian cricket’s big leagues
    Dec 14 2025
    This week on the show, host Mihir Vasavda speaks to The Indian Express’ Lalith Kalidas about his investigation into how Puducherry has become a backdoor into Indian cricket’s elite leagues. They discuss how fake addresses, eligibility papers, and a parallel selection system allow players from other states to bypass residency rules, often in plain sight of cricket’s governing bodies, and how money, access, and lax oversight allow the system to thrive.

    You can read the investigation here.

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • How an Indian athlete landed in Kenyan jail

    How an Indian athlete landed in Kenyan jail
    Dec 8 2025
    This week, our hosts Amit and Mihir are joined by The Indian Express’ Nihal Koshie to discuss the story of the boy who ran into trouble. Aman Malik, a budding long-distance runner from Haryana got embroiled in a doping scandal in Kenya and is sentenced to three years in jail. We discuss his journey and what it indicates about the drugs menace in sports.

    To read the story, click here: https://indianexpress.com/article/long-reads/budding-long-distance-runner-haryana-doping-scandal-kenya-10392324/

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • L Balaji on India's Test cricket crisis

    L Balaji on India's Test cricket crisis
    Nov 30 2025
    Former Indian cricket coach international cricketer L. Balaji joins The Indian Express' Mihir Vasavda and Venkata Krishna B to analyse India's 2-0 series loss against South Africa, the concerns in the pace-bowling department and why, despite the defeat, there's no need to panic.

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • What happened to Indian stars at Chess World Cup

    What happened to Indian stars at Chess World Cup
    Nov 23 2025
    At the ongoing FIDE World Cup in Goa, neither world champion Gukesh, nor Pragg and Arjun Erigaisi made it to the semis. This week hosts Mihir Vasavda, Vinayakk Mohanarangan and Amit Kamath discuss the extent to which this is a cause for concern.

    Further listening:
    https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/chess/chess-world-cup-a-question-for-grandmasters-what-after-work-their-reply-take-a-walk-10350335/

    Produced by Shashank Bhargava
    Edited and mixed Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Sidelines to spotlight: Tracing the journey of women's cricket with Ananya Upendran

    Sidelines to spotlight: Tracing the journey of women's cricket with Ananya Upendran
    Nov 9 2025
    The journey of Indian women's cricket from sidelines to spotlight

    This week, Vinayakk and Mihir are joined by expert guest Ananya Upendran, who played for Hyderabad and India A during her career and is Program Lead at GoSports Foundation for the Equal Hue program. Ananya reflects on the journey of women's cricket over the years and the challenges it overcame before becoming world champions.

    Produced by Ichha Sharma
    Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
    Show More Show Less
    34 mins