All Out For No Loss

Just as tempting as it was, we are not talking about something that happened 32 years ago to this day when world witnessed (should I say read about) the greatest (still the case) ODI inning by an Indian batter.

A preview of the Headingly Test and the palindrome at Lords

The 2025 India in England series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (or is it Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy) will start on June 20 with the first skirmish at the Headingly cricket ground. A new look and relatively inexperienced Indian team takes on an English team whose bowling attack seems somewhat lacking in experience as well.

Questions

1. Will India give Sai Sudharsan his debut and have him bat at 3 ? Or would it be Easwaran ?
2. How will Karun Nair do on his much awaited return to interational cricket ?
3. Will we see a flat track more suited to the English Bazball model of play that also will defang India's bowling spearhead ?

What are we talking about in this episode ?

Before jumping into the England-India series we do a little review of the WTC final where the South Africans channeled Shakira with "This time for Africa" with a wonderful heist at Lords. And just like that 27 years of waiting including several moments of agony were washed away, a little like how RCB did so a couple of weeks ago.

We then delve into the Headingly test including a short detour to the last two tests in Headingly that featured these teams - one in 2021 and one in 2002, both of which ended with teams winning by an innings and some. Incidentally these two teams have faced off only twice at Headingly since the turn of the century - the Wall was unbreakable in one and the Lord could not single handedly carry the team in the other.

We talk about the various likely combinations of the two teams, essentially on those slots that are not set in stone as yet. And also dwell on the likely nature of the playing surface and its impact on the selections.

England has since announced their playing XI.

Take a listen and let us know what you think.

#INDvsEng #Headingly #Tendulkar #JimmyAnderson #KapilDev #Markram #WTC

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Anand Kumar Sankaran

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 24 IPL 2025 - Reviews and Previews

18 days into IPL 2025 and most teams have shown their good, bad and ugly parts, maybe with the exception of Delhi Capitals whom have been very impressive.

In this episode we review the teams on where they stand in the stand and preview the next week of matches 25 through 33.

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-18-day-review-previews-matches-25to33

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 24 IPL 2025 - Reviews and Previews

Ten days into IPL 2025 and most teams have shown their good, bad and ugly parts, maybe with the exception of PZ's boys whom have been very impressive.

In this episode we review the 9 teams other than CSK (who merited a separate episode of oppari aka lamenting).

Preview the next week of matches 16 through 24.

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-10-day-review-previews-matches-16to24

Given that this is IPL season, do take a listen at the podcast from Acquired that talks about the genesis and growth of the league. Focusses more on the business side of things and is a fascinating portrayal of the league in terms of how a business was created out of nothing and could well overtake the NFL as the biggest sports entertainment league in the world. The NFL is easily the gold standard of sports league and is streets ahead of every other sports league.

https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/indian-premier-league-cricket

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 25

IPL 2025 - CSK in Doldrums

This episode is all about the struggles of CSK in this edition of the IPL. In this session we talk about -

1. The struggles with the power play bowling
2. The rather weak batting performances
3. No mid innings acceleration
4. Thala Dhoni AWOL
5. The fan reactions
6. The way forward if any for this season

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-csk-in-doldrums

The IPL 2025 his cranking along in style with some terrific performances from various players - some expected and some new ones.

In this episode -

We review the first 7 games -

1. RCB at KKR
2. RR at SRH
3. MI at CSK
4. LSG at DC (Vizag)
5. PK at GT
6. KKT at RR (Guwahati)
7. LSG at SRH

Preview the next 8 ones -

1. RCB at CSK
2. MI at GT
3. SRH at DC (Vizag)
4. CSK at RR (Guwahati)
5. KKR at MI
6. PK at LSG
7. GT at RCB
8. SRH at KKR

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-reviews-matches-01to07-previews-matches-08to15

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 23

The IPL 2025 has started with an upset with RCB thrashing the Kolkata Knight Riders in the opener. Krunal Pandya's very smart bowling turned the game on its head as he first slowed down KKR down and then took out their middle order. And then Phil Salt just continued from where he left off to set the stage for Kohli to finish the same. The big takeaways - (a) Hazlewood is fit and bowling as well as ever (b) Krunal is very effective and (c) the RCB batting is looking very scary.

In this episode we preview 6 games namely games 2 through 7

1. Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad
2. Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings in Chennai
3. Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals at Vizag
4. Punjab Kings v Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad
5. Kolkata Knight Rider v Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati
6. Lucknow Super Giants v Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-previews-matches-02-to-07.

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 22

IPL 2025 - Previews: Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders

In the last of the team preview episodes for IPL 2025 we will take a look at the Chennai Super Kings, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and the Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings continues to be the same old efficient squad to the point of being boring. They bat very deep and have a slew of two way players. The spin bowling attack is fearsome with two Chepauk specialists in Jadeja and Ashwin plus the precocious Noor Ahmed. The seam bowling group is workmanlike, but seems sufficient. The batting might just be a little thin. Should make it to the playoffs with this team if they can operate on potential

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a very big unboxing event where they introduced their players and Mr.Nags was at his inimitable best. As usual the team looks pretty decent on paper, but once again they might just be a tad short on the bowling. And once again they will need Virat to have a monster season to take them ahead. Playoffs might just be out of reach. They do have a surprise packet in the form of Jacob Bethell who might be the game changer for them.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have done a pretty decent job with regards to retentions and the auctions. They could not keep Phil Salt, but managed to get Quinton De Kock as the replacement. They however did manage to retain their core. The only real question mark is the need to have Rahane because they needed an experienced captain. The balance of the team suggests that they should be a strong playoff contender. What also stands out is they have a backup for every position without really sacrificing much quality.

The first game will be played on Saturday between KKR and RCB. Looking at the two teams, the over arching belief is that KKR might be a little too strong for RCB in the opener especially at the Eden Gardens.

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-previews-csk-rcb-kkr

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 21

IPL 2025 - Previews: Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians

This is the second preview episode of the teams in the competition.

In this conversation we will take a look at the Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians.

The Delhi Capitals went through a major overhaul and appears to have put a squad that has a decent first XI, but will struggle substantially if there are injuries or drop-outs. The sentiment is that this is a 9 person team with 11 players.

The Rajasthan Royals have probably regressed a lot - some poor retention choices, followed by an equally poor auction cycle. This team will probably struggle a lot and is totally dependent on special individual performances to get them through.

SRH looks very intimidating with an absolutely brilliant top 5, the problems will start in games where they lose early wickets at the batting gets substantially weaker. For all practical purposes they are in the game as long as their top 5 are doing well. However we still believe that they have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs.

MI is the team to beat and start as the title favorite. A brilliant bowling unit which is so good that they might not need Bumrah to bowl if the first half of an innings - essentially 40% of the back-end will be Bumrah. The batting line is fabulous with everyone looking in terrific touch. And then some wonderful new additions.

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-previews-dc-rr-srh-mi

All Out 4 No Loss - Episode 20

IPL 2025 - Previews: Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans

IPL returns with all the usual fanfare and this time around it is after a mega auctions which means all teams are looking different from the previous campaigns. In some cases the are significant differences in the makeup of the teams and in some cases teams have managed to stay the course with minimal changes.

This is the first of a series of episodes where we will be previewing the teams in the competition.

In this conversation we will take a look at the Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and the Gujarat Titans

The Ponting era at the Punjab Kings has resulted in a move from a team that was loaded with big-hitters and a modest bowling attack to a unit where their bowling attack has become super-charged at the expense of some fire-power with the bat.

The Lucknow Super Giants who are coached by another legend of the 2000 Australia team Justin Langer seem to have regressed a little bit in terms of their personnel and might just be too dependent on their overseas professionals. The balance seems a little questionable and their backup suite is a little weak.

The Gujarat Titans did sign Buttler, but was that a really good move given that their top three while being very proper batters need some time to get going and that just might not be the ideal recipe if the pitches are similar to what we saw in the last IPL.

#IPL #IPL2025 #BCCI #ChennaiSuperKings #DelhiCapitals #GujaratTitans #KolkataKnightRiders #LucknowSuperGiants #MumbaiIndians #PunjabKings #RajasthanRoyals #RoyalChallengersBengaluru #SunrisersHyderabad

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Anand Kumar Sankaran

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/ipl2025-previews-pk-lsg-gt

The Champions Trophy: The Finals

India handily regained the Champions Trophy with a relatively comfortable win over New Zealand on March 9 in Dubai. Once again the 4 spinners took over the game from the moment they came on and squeezed out any resistance from the New Zealand middle order. The late burst notwithstanding the total of 251 was below par and once Rohit set the platform with a brisk 76, it was all about playing sensibly to ensure that the New Zealand spinners did not wrest the game away.

In this conversation we will take a look at the game and this India team in historical terms

1. Did New Zealand miss the presence of another spinner in their team ?
2. Is this the best ever ODI team from India ?
3. Has Rohit become the best white captain we have ever had ?
4. Most important even if this team wins, does it lose thanks to the BCCI ?

#ICC #BCCI #newzealandcricket #indiacricket #australiacricket

Participants:

• Vasant Kumar
• Ramakrishnan G Iyer
• Anand Kumar Sankaran
• Vijaykumar Balasubramanian

Also available on Apple Podcast and Spotify.

https://all-out-for-no-loss.captivate.fm/episode/india-regains-the-champions-trophy