Never on the Backfoot: A Podcast

Welcome to Episode 123 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Joining us on the podcast today is Vijay Lokapally. Sir is an Indian sports journalist and author. He started his career with the Patriot newspaper in 1981 and later joined The Hindu Group in 1986. Sir has been considered in the media as one of India's most respected writers on cricket and according to Sportskeeda, he is regarded as one of the most well-known sports journalists in India. This episode is all about delineating Virat Kohli and his form. His lean trot is now well into its third year which is extraordinary and has no parallel in the history of the game for a batter of such proven class and high achievement. Kohli is undoubtedly India's modern-day run machine with 23,693 international runs across formats at a 53.72 career average is the only batter with a 50-plus career average among the top run-getters in the world. For a long time, he averaged over 50 across all three formats, a feat which spoke volumes about just how prolific the former India skipper has been over the years. Even now, Virat averages above 50 in ODIs and T20Is. But since great players are judged more harshly when they go through dry spells thanks to how high they set the bar themselves, Virat has found himself in the eye of a storm of criticism. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more. 🌻

Welcome to Episode 122 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The SL v IND series was an exciting one as we won the T20I series 2-1 and ODI series 3-0. There a lot of talking points from this tour and with the CWG also fast approaching, we have some exciting times lined up. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 121 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The term 'BazBall' has been used excessively everywhere and this episode aims to break down what the fuss is all about. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 120 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. On the podcast today joining me is Nikhil Samant. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession, running his business in Pune. Like all Indians, he is a huge fan of the game of cricket. His passion and need to be associated with the game culminated in his writing of the book, ‘It Wasn’t A Waste of Time - The Story of the Most Important Decade' in Indian Cricket’. This book is his tribute to Indian Cricket and all the players who have had the privilege to wear the Indian cap. The book encapsulates four great men - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Anil Kumble - led by the enigmatic Sourav Ganguly, accept the challenge to repair the tarnished image of Indian cricket. Will India's new captain bring back the charm and respect to India's first love? Who will take up Ganguly's mantle?” Basically, it is the story of an emotional journey Indian fans underwent in the first decade of the new millennium. It outlines the most important events, matches and series India participated in, and their impact on Indian cricket itself. The book beautifully outlines the important events that India had participated in at that time to regain its charm back. It has glimpses of ICC Champions Trophy 2000, India's tour of England and New Zealand in 2002, ICC World Cup 2003, ICC World Cup 2007 and others, presented as a 'long story short'. Although this book is non-fiction, relying heavily on true facts and statistics, interviews and reports, it still has an element of storytelling and a beautiful coherence that fascinated me. The book is surely recommended to all Cricket lovers and those who love to read about the sport. The author is articulate and the language used is subtle, well-drafted and rich. It depicts how the legends of Indian Cricket opened all the doors of love that were almost shut upon them. The comprehensive interview is a candid and free flowing discussion with Nikhil that has us covering a plethora of topics and you wouldn't want to miss out on this one!

The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 119 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. When Mithali Raj announced her retirement, it not only drew curtains on one of the most decorated careers in Indian cricket but also signalled the end of an era. In a career that spanned 23 years, she represented India a record 333 times across all formats, scored a world record 10,868 runs and became the first Indian captain to lead the country to two World Cup finals. But the legacy she leaves behind goes well beyond mere numbers and is almost impossible to soak in. She will always be remembered as the first woman to make it big in a predominantly male dominated sport and what is special is how she helped girls across the country nurture a dream and put their best foot ahead to achieve it seeing her. This episode is all about the legendary, iconic and inspirational batter Mithali Raj. Joining us on the Podcast is Bharat Hegde who certainly made the episode so much more insightful and amazing. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 118 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The England vs South Africa one-off test was a fascinating contest that was unfortunately cut off thanks to bad weather and the fact that women’s tests are 4-day affairs. Nevertheless, that doesn’t take away from what a great test match it was. We have a lot of exciting talking points, so strap your seatbelts and here we go! The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more 💜

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 117 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The semifinals of the 2021/22 Ranji Trophy season began on June 14 with Bengal facing Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai contesting with Uttar Pradesh in the second match. The two games were played at the Karnataka Cricket Association Ground in Alur and the Just Cricket Academy in Bangalore respectively. We had MP and Mumbai progress to the Finals.

Madhya Pradesh, not considered among cricketing elites during the past decade humbled domestic powerhouse Mumbai by six wickets in a one-sided Ranji Trophy final under coach Chandrakant Pandit, who exorcised the ghosts of losing one at this very ground 23 summers ago. This episode is a review of the semi-finals and finals of this tournament.

On the podcast today, we have Christin Jacob who along with his team of 6 members manages Indian Domestic Cricket Forum (IDCF) across different social media platforms. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 116 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. India completed a 2-0 whitewash in the just-concluded T20I series against Ireland. While the Men in Blue registered a convincing win in the opening game, they were given a run for their money in the second and at one point it seemed as if the Irish would end up pulling off a huge upset. This episode is all about a review of the Ireland series and a look ahead to the England series. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 115 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The BCCI controls the biggest economy in world cricket just recently wrapped up a blockbuster three-day online auction for the IPL’s media rights for the 2023-27 cycle. Propelling itself to the second spot on the list of most lucrative sporting properties in the world, the IPL secured a whopping INR 48,390.50 crore (approx. US$ 6.2 billion) through its new television and digital rights deal. This episode is all about the IPL media rights and a detailed discussion of the same with Kartik. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.

Welcome to Episode 114 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. It was way back in 2014 that legendary New Zealand cricketer the late Martin Crowe saw into the future and declared Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root as the 'Fab 4' of the current generation of batters in world cricket. His prediction could not have been more right as the four players have dominated all three forms of the game over the last decade and established themselves as four of the finest players to have played the sport in history. Today’s episode is a discussion about these legends with Abhinav. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out @neveronthebackfoot on Instagram and @neverontheback1 for the latest facts, trivia, quizzes, terminology for more.