Explore every episode of the podcast Sledging Room

It's time for another Indian to take over as the new ICC chairman. BCCI secretary Jay Shah was elected as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Upon his election, Shah affirmed his commitment to making Test cricket the "bedrock" of the game during his tenure.

Meanwhile, Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies (CWI), has raised concerns about the ICC’s revenue-sharing model, warning of serious consequences if it isn't addressed soon. Test cricket has been losing its appeal in countries like Pakistan, West Indies, and South Africa, leading to empty stands during matches. The economic viability of Test cricket has been in question for years, and the rise of lucrative T20 leagues has further threatened the traditional format. Given India's financial influence in the cricketing world, Shah's commitment to supporting Test cricket is reassuring for its fans.

On the other hand, it has not been the best of times for the Pakistan cricket team lately. After the early exit in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, they suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test of the ongoing series. To arrest the freefall, the Pakistan Cricket Board has turned to Artificial Intelligence to help select players.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi expressed concerns about the lack of a strong talent pool to replace underperforming players. The PCB hopes its new domestic tournament, the Champions Cup, scheduled in Faisalabad from September 12 to 29, will help develop talent in the long run. The PCB plans to use AI to select a pool of 150 players based on data from the 50-over tournament.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Saurabh Kumar, Sabyasachi Chowdhary and Kingshuk Kusari discuss how Jay Shah's tenure as ICC head might turn out and what has gone wrong with Pakistan cricket.

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Produced and sound mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

It’s time for the last leg of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. The race for the spots in the final is heating up. India and Australia are in the pole position. South Africa and Pakistan are in with an outside chance. Bazballing England need a perfect run from here on.

India are set for their stiffest test when they are set to tour Australia later this year. Yes, Australia have not beaten India in a Border-Gavaskar Test series in a decade. And Australia are not going to go down without a fight in the upcoming 5-Test series.

Are India favourites to complete a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia? Can a Test team that is in transition manage to repeat the heroics of the last two tours? Will Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma combine to script history?

Meanwhile, Pakistan will begin their busy home season on August 21 against Bangladesh. Questions have been asked of their all-pace bowling attack for the series opener in Rawalpindi.

Can captain Shan Masood walk the talk? Will he be allowed a free hand in this crucial phase?

In the latest episode of Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss what promises to be an exciting few months of Test cricket.

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Produced & Sound Mixed By: Kapil Dev Singh

Jasprit Bumrah has looked a million dollar in the T20 World Cup 2024. He has 15 overs so far and conceded just four boundaries. He has 8 wickets at an economy rate of less than four runs per over. Yes, India is certainly blessed to have him in their team. The legendary West Indies pacer Ian Bishop calls him a ‘generational’ fast bowler. Brian Lara said he is India’s greatest cricketer of this era. But does he need an ICC title to prove his greatness?

Pat Cummins, a modern-day great, has been a serial winner of ICC titles, and his winning spree has helped him further his legacy. Will Bumrah not be considered one of the finest if he doesn’t inspire India to an ICC title?

Returning to the ongoing T20 World Cup, India began their Super 8s campaign with a thumping win over Afghanistan. There were doubts over India’s ability to perform on slow and sluggish pitches in the Caribbean, especially after they played all their group-stage games in the USA. But India silenced all critics with a comprehensive win over Rashid Khan’s men in Barbados on Thursday.

Does India have the best team to counter these conditions? Are they looking unbeatable again? Can they go all the way without losing a match? Will it be different this time? We don’t need another heartbreak. Do we? 

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari analyse India’s chances of ending their 11-year-long ICC trophy drought based on evidence from their performances in the group stage and the first Super 8 game against Afghanistan. Tune in!

Produced and Mixed By: Kapil Dev Singh

Is it fair to say the Indian team has lost the killer instinct in Test cricket with Rahul Dravid as coach? Under Ravi Shastri, India won Tests in South Africa and England and secured back-to-back Test series in Australia, a feat that was once considered impossible to achieve.

Can India continue their dominating run against Australia or will the visitors shock the hosts?

Rajarshi Gupta was joined by Akshay Ramesh and Saurabh Kumar in the latest episode of the Sledging Room.

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The Women's Premier League is finally happening. Record bids for broadcast rights and team ownership showed there is massive interest and women's cricket in India has now come of age. There is little doubt the WPL will do a lot of good for women's cricketers in the country but can it make an early impression?


Should the WPL have been launched earlier or is this the right time? How important will this tournament be for India's women cricketers especially after the U19 T20 World Cup triumph?


Also on the Sledging Room, there was a heated debate around India's preparation ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. While the Aussies toured Pakistan and Sri Lanka last year and then trained on turning pitches in Sydney, India come on the back of a series of limited-overs matches, without Rishabh Pant and the possibility of Shreyas Iyer missing the first Test in Nagpur.


Priya Nagi and Akshay Ramesh join Rajarshi Gupta for an intense debate in the latest episode of the Sledging Room.

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Should India have selected Sarfaraz Khan for the Test series against Australia? Despite lots of runs in the Ranji Trophy, Sarfaraz Khan continues to be out in the cold. Several former India cricketers have questioned the move and questioned the obsession with cricketers who look a particular way instead of focusing on the real hard runs scored in the middle.

Sarfaraz Khan has been one of India's top batters in the country's most elite domestic tournament but he found no spots in either the series in Bangladesh or the high-profile Test series to be played at home against Australia. Sunil Gavaskar said the selectors should go to a fashion show if they want to rope in models while Venkatesh Prasad said there were other players in the side who had more kgs than Sarfaraz Khan.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been on fire for India scoring a record 360 runs in the ODI series against New Zealand. Rarely has an India batter started that well as such an early age. Only 23, Gill has scored hundreds including a double century from just 21 one-day internationals.

Is Shubman Gill the next Virat Kohli?

Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari join Rajarshi Gupta in yet another heated, controversial debate on the Sledging Room.

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini
Sound Mix by Amrit Regi

Mankading, not anymore. Call it what you will, the furore over non-strikers' run-outs is intense every time a bowler removes the bails to 'Mankad' a batter. Rohit Sharma withdrew an appeal after Mohammed Shami dismissed Dasun Shanuka on 98 in an ODI which India already had in their grasp. Then there was an instance of a non-striker being run-out for backing up too far. But why the controversy when it is a perfectly legitimate form of dismissal.

In another heated debate in the Sledging Room, Akshay Ramesh and Saurabh Kumar join Rajarshi Gupta to dissect the bizarre comparisons between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam by the Pakistan cricket fraternity. Virat Kohli is closing in on Sachin Tendulkar's ODI world record of 49 hundreds and is in the middle of red-hot form with 3 hundreds in 4 ODIs after a dismal run.

Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, has faced flak after his team failed to win a single Test at home last year. He, is however, the top-ranked ODI batter. Kohli's sensational return to form sparked off a series of tweets from Pakistan fans AND journalists questioning the Indian star's achievements.

The fact is Virat Kohli has scored runs all around the world and in different conditions.

Tune in to listen to a fiery debate!

Produced by Anna Priyadarshini
Sound mix by Amrit Regi

Ishan Kishan, exactly a month after scoring a record-breaking double hundred against Bangladesh, was dropped for India's next ODI against Sri Lanka. The reason? Rohit Sharma said it was only "fair" to give Shubman Gill a chance after his consistent run in the format. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav, who scored a breathtaking hundred in the series-deciding T20I against Sri Lanka, did not find a spot in the playing XI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. Was all this done only to accommodate KL Rahul?

Ishan Kishan's omission certainly left several experts baffled. At a time, India should be looking to bring in an X-factor at the top, a young cricketer was left out despite a sensational double hundred. That move also brought back memories of how Karun Nair was left out for a Test after he had scored a triple hundred against England in his previous match.

Also, remember Kuldeep Yadav who was dropped after a man-of-the-match performance in the first Test against Bangladesh? Just, what's going on with the Indian team management?

Rajarshi Gupta, Akshay Ramesh and Saurabh Kumar were involved in another hostile debate on the latest episode of the Sledging Room.

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Will Hardik Pandya take over India's white-ball captaincy soon? The all-rounder has been named as captain of the T20I side for the Sri Lanka series and has been elevated to vice-captain role in ODIs. While the Indian cricket board (BCCI) has not confirmed the change of guard in T20Is, it appears as if India are preparing for transition. Will the injury-prone all-rounder be able to manage the rigours of the workload? Is the solution to India's woes in white-ball cricket change in captaincy? We discuss! Listen in!

KL Rahul, standing in as captain for Rohit Sharma, failed in both Tests while Shubman Gill who scored his maiden Test hundred is sure to keep the former on his toes. Kuldeep Yadav returned to the Test side, scored runs, got wickets, won the man-of-the-match award and was dropped from the second Test. The Indian thinktank was severely criticised and KL Rahul had little to offer in terms of explanation for this bizarre call. Besides, as interesting things played out in Bangladesh, some interesting developments were seen in Kochi. Tune in to listen to the sporting banter in yet another episode pf Sledging Room!

Did Mbappe deserve to win the tournament a little more than Lionel Messi, or was it Messi's brilliance throughout the tournament that had more weight? Can Mbappe keep shining and overtake Miroslav Klose’s all-time scoring record in World Cup? We discuss in Sledging Room. Listen in!

Messi vs Ronaldo. Who is the greatest of all time? Which of these two will end their international careers with the higher accolades? That debate seems to have been settled at the Qatar World Cup after Ronaldo's Portugal crashed out of the quarterfinals while Messi's Argentina stormed through to the final. We discuss in Sledging Room. Tune in!

What can Indian cricket learn from the Ronaldo saga? Is Ronaldo no longer needed for Portugal and heavyweight European clash? We discuss in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in!

India has reached the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup without losing a single game.

India has now travelled to the West Indies for the Super 8 stages and will face Australia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Should India change their playing XI, given the conditions will be much more spin-friendly? If so, who gets dropped from playing XI? Many fans on social media have argued for the exclusion of Ravindra Jadeja, given that neither has the all-rounder scored any runs in group stages nor has he picked up any wickets. But will India be brave to drop a senior Indian player to accommodate a specialist spinner like Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal?

The Indian team has a slight concern about Virat Kohli. Kohli has scored 1,4, and 0 in the three matches in the group stage, and there are murmurs if the batter should return to the No. 3 position, which might give the Indian team better stability on slower surfaces. Should Kohli return to his role as a grafter in the Indian batting line-up and play the longer innings without worrying about his strike rate?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari had previewed the teams in the Super 8s and discussed their chances of reaching the semi-finals. The three also discussed the struggles of the Indian batting unit and how the Indian team might overcome that challenge with a single tweak in their composition.

The Sri Lankan side has also complained about tournament scheduling. Captain Wanindu Hasaranga and spinner Maheesh Theekshana lashed out at the T20 World Cup 2024 schedule, which sees them play in four different venues. Sri Lanka lost its first match of the campaign to South Africa, which was played in New York. After this, they will play Bangladesh in Dallas on June 7 and then head to Florida to face Nepal four days later.

In contrast, a team like India has been stationed in New York and will play 3 out of 4 group-stage matches at the Nassau County Stadium.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room podcast, Saurabh Kumar, Kingshuk Kusari and Alan Jose John unpack various issues that teams have faced in the first week of this T20 World Cup.

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Produced and Mixed By: Sachin Dwivedi

The Sledging Room dived deep into some aspects of the FIFA World Cup which have dominated headlines the world over. Many around the globe have been left perplexed with the additional time deployed in these World Cup matches and several others have wondered if it was right for FIFA to ban teams from expressing their stand on 'One Love'.

Apart from football, cricket was obviously in the focus in the latest episode of an intense debate on the Sledging Room.

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How independent are the selectors when it comes to selecting India's cricket teams? No, we are not suggesting sacking the selection committee was a bad move. But a lot more needs to be done. How about a specialist coach? How about a different captain for the T20 format for India? Tune in to The Sledging Room.

India with all their cricketing riches, have not won an ICC trophy in 9 years. India have an abundance of talent but new players need to be looked at immediately and given a long rope. Who will take the lead and finally concede that India have been way too conservative in T20 cricket and need to think of and implement new and fresher plans? Listen in!

Yes, Pakistan are in the title clash but they needed to beat only two good teams to get there. South Africa had one poor hour against Pakistan and then choked against Netherlands. There are plenty of arguments to be made and plenty of questions to be answered. We discuss. Tune in!

Why are India still persisting with KL Rahul? Why did India look to bat first in Perth? Why did India's pacers not bowl more yorkers? We discuss this in Sledging Room. Tune in!

Is KL Rahul a weak link in India’s top-order? Can this bowling attack step up against stronger teams? We discuss this in Sledging Room. Tune in!

Can India start the tournament with a win in a high-pressure game? There is a lot at stake for both teams. We discuss in Sledging Room. Listen in!

Are India well prepared or should they have at least played a couple of games against the Australian national team in their backyard? We discuss in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in!

KL Rahul's approach has often been criticised even in the IPL where he is famed for his run-scoring consistency. As India opener, has Rahul failed to keep with the team's new approach of attack-at-all-costs? Does Rahul's reluctance to accelerate at the top put more pressure on Rohit Sharma? We discuss in the Sledging Room. Tune in!

The run-out stirred a controversy which overshadowed India's historic 3-0 whitewash of England in the ODI series. But why this fuss over a dismissal which was completely within the laws of the game? Tune in!

How can you not chase 120 when you know the tournament is on the line? The biggest match of the T20 World Cup saw Pakistan do a Pakistan. It was worse. Never has Pakistan been this listless with the bat in a major tournament in the recent past. After a shock defeat to the USA, who are playing a men's T20 World Cup for the first time, Pakistan were humbled by their arch-rivals India in New York on Monday.

Pakistan bowlers gave it their all after the run of green went Babar Azam's way at the toss. Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir and Haris Rauf bowled their hearts out to restrict the mighty Indian batting unit for just 119 in New York. However, there was no intent throughout the chase, with Babar Azam failing early and Mohammad Rizwan lacking common sense; Pakistan choked in the chase, losing by 6 runs.

The defeat has pushed Pakistan to the brink of elimination. The 2022 finalists are set to exit without even making it to the Super 8s this year. Who should take the blame for Pakistan's horror show? Is it the cricket board? Keep in mind that captains were changed, and new coaches were brought in just months before the T20 World Cup.

There is pressure on Babar Azam. Is it time for him to go as captain? Is it time for him to quit T20I cricket? Are Pakistan playing outdated cricket? Plenty of questions as the Green Shirts implode on the biggest stage.

India, on the other hand, has won two in two. But they are not yet looking like title contenders.
In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Kingshuk Kusari, and Alan John discuss Pakistan's T20I team's downfall.

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Produced and Mixed By: Kapil Dev Singh
 

Rohit Sharma's captaincy has also raised some eyebrows. Is he more composed as Mumbai Indians skipper? Is he showing too many emotions as India captain? How about his bowling changes and field placements? We discuss in Sledging Room. Tune in!

Some burning questions addressed in this podcast which does tend to get a little.... well.. overwhelming and perhaps mean. Tune in!

At the Asia Cup, India's familiar problems resurfaced. While Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has come under scanner, bowling is a huge cause for concern. Tune in to Sledging Room to know!

India are off to a winning start at the Asia Cup and they do not deserve a lot of criticism but with the T20 World Cup approaching, should they look to add a dash of firepower to that batting line-up? Tune in!

Are Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli ready for the Pakistan test? How will India's bowling line-up fare without Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel? We discuss this and more in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in!

How far will England's aggressive approach take them? Also, should Virat Kohli have toured Zimbabwe? We discuss in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in!

Some burning questions addressed in this podcast which does tend to get a little.... well.. overwhelming and perhaps mean. Tune in!

India have done really well in T20Is since their disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup last year. But with the next edition just around the corner, what really is India's best XI? We discuss in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in now!

Does it make sense to play so many bilateral ODI series? Should there be more tri-series to keep players and fans interested? Has T20 cricket ruined the one-day format? We discuss in this episode of Sledging Room. Tune in now!

Virat Kohli has barely played international cricket this year. How much rest is enough and how much of it is too much? We discuss in this episode. Tune in!

India head coach Rahul Dravid took a slight dig at the tournament organisers ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland. Speaking in a press conference, Dravid said it was odd to hold training sessions at a park in an ICC tournament.

The stadium was built in a very short time. Even three months ago, there was a public park on the premises. The ICC had avidly advertised how quickly the stadium had been built. However, as it turns out, things had horribly gone wrong. Inconsistent bounce on a fresh pitch and puffs of dust coming out from the outfield meant that the whole thing had been rushed.

In India's warm-up game against Bangladesh, batters found it difficult to adjust to the pace and bounce of the pitch. Ahead of India's first T20 World Cup game at the venue, Sri Lanka and South Africa played out a low-scoring thriller. The pitch was in focus again as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 77, and South Africa dragged it till the 17th over to reach the target.

This match raised a very important question—is this the kind of cricket that will attract viewers from the USA, where the ICC is trying to spread the game?

Given that India plays three games at the same venue, it raises a couple of very important questions. What is going to be the team's combination? Who are the undroppable players from the unit? The team is filled with superstars, but as head coach Rahul Dravid says, conditions will play a major role in the team's campaign in this World Cup.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room podcast, Saurabh Kumar, Kingshuk Kusari, and Alan Jose John unpack various issues that teams have faced in the first week of this T20 World Cup.

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Produced and Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

Should there be pay parity? Is the women's IPL a good idea? What are the challenges for women's cricketers in India and the world over? Listen up!

The episode dives deep into some troubling issues: Virat Kohli's poor form, the bowlers' lack of sting, bizarre tactics and several others. Tune in!

Could India have been a bit more competitive? Should India have played a proper first-class match? Tune in!

We discuss Pant's inability to replicate his brilliance in T20 Internationals for India, if Dinesh Karthik should be India's wicket keeper for India in the T20 World Cup, and Rahul Dravid's coaching tenets. Listen up!

Some burning questions addressed in this podcast which does tend to get a little.... well.. overwhelming and perhaps mean. Tune in!

The IPL is over, and the biggest T20 carnival is here. The USA and the West Indies will co-host the men’s T20 World Cup from June 1 to June 29. The USA will host a cricket tournament of such magnitude for the first time. 3 venues are hosting the T20 World Cup in the USA, and the big India vs Pakistan clash will be played in New York.

The ICC’s move to award the USA the hosting rights is a major step toward globalising the game. One of the most popular sports in the world is heading to the biggest sports market. Will the ICC’s gamble work? Yes, the Asian community in the USA will lap it up. But will the T20 World Cup make some noise in the USA? Well, at least it’s starting.

More importantly, the ninth edition of the men’s T20 World Cup will have 20 teams -- as many sides for the first time in history. Is it going to affect the competitiveness of the tournament? Well, more teams will add to the flavour of the tournament and is a big step toward making the game global. Don’t count out the associates. Each one of them deserves to be here. It’s going to be an exciting World Cup, for sure.

Can India progress to the semi-final and go all the way? Is Pakistan riding on chaos? Will England be able to defend their crown?  Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Alan John discuss the buzz around the T20 World Cup.

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Produced and Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

Have you seen a more dominant campaign than this? KKR looked like champions and played like champions, winning the IPL 2024 trophy in style. They won 9 out of 14 matches in the league stage and hammered the SunRisers in Qualifier 1 to progress to the final. Let's not talk about the title match! It was one of the most one-sided tournament finals, definitely the most one-sided IPL final.

Shreyas Iyer became only the fifth Indian captain after MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya to win the IPL trophy. For Gambhir, it was a sensational return to Kolkata as the team's mentor. And for Pat Cummins, it was the first major tournament defeat as captain. Many Indian fans joked about SRH choking on Sunday, wondering why another team led by Cummins did not choke on November 19, 2023.

KKR's dominant run brings us to this question: Who should take credit for their triumph? Should it be Gautam Gambhir? Yes, he deserves a lot of credit for the glorious run. Having taken over as the mentor, Gambhir brought role clarity and kept the team focused on the ultimate prize. Then there is coach Chandrakant Pandit, who has added the IPL crown to his decorated trophy cabinet.

How much credit should Shreyas Iyer, the captain, deserve? A lot. The India batter had a difficult period before the IPL, losing his central contract and battling an injury. However, he never let that affect his leadership on the field. He stepped up with the bat in crunch situations and looked calm and composed. Should Shreyas be a future candidate for India captaincy?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari reflect on KKR's run. We have also picked our IPL 2024 Team of the Tournament.

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Produced and Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

Pat Cummins has guided SRH to the final of the Indian Premier League 2024. The Hyderabad-based side are going to face KKR in the summit clash of the tournament. Two mentality monsters in the world of cricket - Pat Cummins and Gautam Gambhir are set to go head to head at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, 26 April

Cummins has made waves around the world since taking over as captain. Cummins has won the Ashes at home, and drawn it away. He has won the WTC Final against India in 2023 and has beaten India in India in the ODI World Cup 2023. In the only format that he had not been captaining - T20 - Cummins' purple patch has taken SRH to the final of the IPL - one of the biggest, if not the biggest franchise league in the world

2 ICC trophies in a single year, and is now in touching distance of the IPL glory. Where does this put Pat Cummins as a captain? Can he be compared to a certain - all-conquering MS Dhoni?

On the other hand, do we not talk enough about KKR captain Shreyas Iyer who came back from an injury and guided his team to the final, and made it look very comfortable while doing it?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Kingshuk Kusari and Sabyasachi Chowdhury discuss the mellow build-up of IPL 2024 Final and the legacy of Pat Cummins as a captain.

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Produced and Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

The top four of IPL 2024 have been finalised. KKR and SRH are all set to face in the Qualifier 1, while RR and RCB will meet in the Eliminator in Ahmedabad on May 21 and 22. Yes, if you hadn’t followed up on the last two weeks of the IPL, you would have been rubbing your eyes after seeing RCB in the fourth spot.

Faf du Plessis-led RCB made a miraculous late run to reach the playoffs. They won six on the trot, including the knockout punch to CSK and MS Dhoni. RCB vs CSK in Bengaluru was a cracker of a contest. Virat Kohli fired. MS Dhoni fired. But, it ended in heartbreak for the 42-year-old after Yash Dayal’s moment of redemption.

Have we seen the last of MS Dhoni as an IPL player? The former CSK captain was angry at himself and heartbroken after CSK missed the playoff berth by the barest of margins.

However, unruly fan behaviour overshadowed the thrilling contest. CSK fans alleged RCB fans abused the travelling supporters in Bengaluru and behaved badly with women outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. On the other hand, a few RCB fans alleged they had experienced something similar in Chennai.

Are the fan wars becoming toxic? Is it ruining the sport? What was the need to criticise Kohli and RCB for celebrating their win? Why get personal?

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Kingshuk Kusari, and Sabyasachi Chowdhury discuss the thrilling finish to the league stage of IPL 2024 and predict the playoffs. 

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Produced and Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

Even as the IPL is nearing its business end, BCCI has sounded the bugle, inviting applications for the potential successor of Indian team head coach Rahul Dravid. This move comes as Rahul Dravid's tenure ends after the T20 World Cup in 2024.

According to sources, India may hire a foreign head coach after nearly a decade. Notable triumphs under prior foreign coaches, such as John Wright and Gary Kirsten, make this option appealing. Wright led India to the 2003 ODI World Cup finals, and Kirsten oversaw India's victory in the 2011 ODI World Cup after a 28-year absence. The deadline for coach applications is May 27, paving the way for crucial decisions in Indian cricket.

There have been reports that the board is considering former New Zealand captain and current CSK head coach Stephen Fleming as a potential successor to Dravid. However, given the BCCI's requirement that the new head coach be in charge of all three formats, it remains to be seen whether Fleming would apply for the position, which will need him to stay with the squad for 10 months per year.

However, why can't India look at someone like Gautam Gambhir for the head coach role? Gambhir, known for his tactical and leadership abilities, could be a possibility. The former India opener, who played pivotal roles in the finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, assisting the team to victory on both occasions, served as the mentor of the Super Giants for two seasons in 2022-2023. Notably, LSG qualified for the IPL playoffs on both times and led KKR to the IPL 2024 playoffs.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah may have rejected the idea of having different coaches for different formats, but maybe in the next few years, the Indian team might need to look for different coaches for the red-ball and white-ball formats.

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Produced & Mixed By Sachin Dwivedi

Kolkata became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. After being a mid-table struggler in the last few seasons, KKR has been the team to beat this season. And it’s no coincidence that Gautam Gambhir returned to the side as their mentor. Under Gambhir, KKR played like champions and won two titles -- in 2012 and 2014.

However, a few pundits, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, have questioned if giving all the credit to Gautam Gambhir is fair. Ian Bishop, former West Indies pacer, made it a point to mention Shreyas Iyer’s brilliant captaincy in IPL 2024. Then, there is Chandrakant Pandit, who is a domestic doyen when it comes to coaching. It is a combined effort, but there’s no doubt that Gambhir’s return has made it tick for the Knight Riders.

Are they capable of going all the way? Do they have any chinks in their armour? If they go all the way and win their 3rd title, will they retain Shreyas Iyer for the next season? Who will be their retentions, considering they have had a strong core over the years? Will they keep faith in the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine?

Meanwhile, MI is out of the playoffs race. They look disoriented, and their former captain, Rohit Sharma, looks disinterested. Is it time for Rohit to leave the franchise? Will KKR be his new home in 2025?

Before all that, India would want Rohit Sharma to regain form and lead well at the T20 World Cup.

Join Akshay Ramesh, Alan Jose John and Kingshuk Kusari as they discuss KKR’s rise and Rohit Sharma’s concerning form in the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast.

Produced & Mixed By: Kapil Dev Singh

The BCCI and IPL franchise owners sat down on 31 July to hold discussions about the future of the league. According to media reports circulating at the time, things got heated between few of the franchise owners when the topic of mega auction was raised.

The mega auction, where teams are only allowed to retain a maximum of 4-5 players has always been a point of contention for not only the franchises but the fans as well. The successful franchises argue that why should they throw away their good work and rebuild from scratch, and those franchises, whose plans have not gone well, look to hit the reset button.

In this episode of Sledging Room, which returns back after a gap of 2 weeks, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the pros and cons of mega auctions, and if there is a better way for the IPL to sustain their product. There is no denying that the mega auction brings a lot of drama to the league, but is it fair for the franchises to hit the reset button every 4 years?

Apart from the auctions, the trio also discusses India's recent series loss in Sri Lanka - the first since 1997, and the latest appointment of Morne Morkel as the bowling coach of the Indian team.

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Produced by Anna Priyadarshini

Sound Mix by Kapil Dev Singh

A Virat Kohli-inspired RCB is somehow alive in the playoffs race. From looking destined for an early exit to winning four matches on a trot, RCB has scripted quite a turnaround in IPL 2024. Much of RCB's turnaround has to be credited to Kohli. Shutting down all his critics, he has let his bat do the talking and made a statement with his match-winning contributions to RCB in their last three games.

RCB's fourth straight win meant PBKS became the second team to get knocked out of the IPL 2024 playoffs race. Punjab's barren run without a playoff appearance has now extended to its 11th season. Despite recording the most successful run chase in T20 cricket and defeating five-time champion Chennai in Chepauk, Punjab failed to advance to the last four. Punjab was the most entertaining team this season, but a few lapses meant they missed another playoff spot.

Speculation is rife about KL Rahul's long-term future with the LSG franchise, which is currently sixth in the 10-team points table and has two more league games left this season. If KL Rahul leaves LSG, will he go to RCB, CSK, or PBKS? It will be interesting to see how this saga unfolds.

At the same time, another question arises: Will Virat Kohli open the batting alongside captain Rohit Sharma? Join Alan John, Saurabh Kumar and Diya Kakkar in another IPL episode of the Sledging Room Podcast.

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Produced & Mixed by Sachin Dwivedi

Sunil Gavaskar shredded Virat Kohli's arguments into pieces. In one of the most straightforward pieces of television commentary, the legendary India batter lashed out at Virat Kohli, who had questioned his critics and the credibility of people who spoke about his strike rate.

Kohli has often stressed the importance of not listening to outside noise, but it seems the superstar batter lets criticism affect him. In a strongly worded post-match interview midway through the IPL 2024 season, he attacked his critics and questioned people 'sitting in a box' and talking about his strike rate.

Gavaskar's takedown of Kohli's comments has also exposed the toxic nature of a section of fans on social media. How can you go and question Sunil Gavaskar's credentials as a cricketer? Well, here's a simple question to all toxic fans: When did you start following the game?

At the same time, another question arises: Is Gavaskar targeting only a few? Why go on a rant against Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli? Why not talk about Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav?

Meanwhile, is there any point in questioning MS Dhoni's batting position for CSK? Why is so much noise about what the former wicketkeeper, who is in the twilight of his career, is doing for the Super Kings in what probably is his last IPL season as a player?

Join Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari in a spicy episode of the Sledging Room Podcast.

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Produced & Mixed by Kapil Dev Singh