This episode is a masterclass in sports business.

From IPL valuations to esports growth, from Dubai as a cricket frontier to the 2030 Commonwealth Games impact — we break it all down with veteran sports executive Roland Landers.

Key Topics Covered:

🏏 IPL financial modeling & revenue correction📉 Why broadcast rights valuations may see correction🌍 Should BCCI expand operations to Dubai?🎮 Esports growth in India (Quarter billion industry & rising)🏟 Commonwealth Games 2030 & infrastructure ripple effect💼 CSR funding in sports📺 OTT platforms & future of domestic cricket⚽ Global sporting moments that shaped history

This conversation dives deep into:

✔ Sports entrepreneurship✔ League expansion models✔ Private ownership economics✔ Esports as a sunrise industry✔ Domestic cricket restructuring✔ Corporate investment in sports

If you're a sports management student, entrepreneur, investor, or simply a serious sports fan — this episode is for you.

A billion-plus fans.A defending champion India.Geopolitics in the background.ICC structure controversy.And a T20 format that has evolved beyond recognition.

In this T20 World Cup special episode, The Inner Athlete brings you differentiated content based on two O’s — Observation & Opinion.

We break down:

• India’s dominance in white-ball cricket

• Pakistan & Bangladesh geopolitical tensions

• ICC’s flawed pre-seeding structure

• Why 20 teams may not be ideal

• Is T20 becoming bigger than IPL?

• Are Sachin & Kohli suited for modern T20?

• Fantasy cricket & the shift from sit-back to sit-up viewing

• Dark horses: Afghanistan, New Zealand & England

• Stock market analogy of cricket teams (Blue chip to penny stock!)

• Fun rapid-fire: Best T20 player ever

This isn’t just a preview.
This is context, structure, history & future — all in one conversation.

👇 Comment your Top 3 contenders for the T20 World Cup.

Indian badminton didn’t rise overnight.From Prakash Nath’s heartbreaking All England final in 1947, to Saina Nehwal’s relentless mental discipline, to the historic Thomas Cup victory — this is the real story of Indian badminton.In this episode of The Inner Athlete, we sit down with Abhijit Kulkarni, sports journalist, mentor, and author of The Gopichand Factor, to decode:• How Saina Nehwal and Pullela Gopichand formed a “match made in heaven”• Why Indian badminton lost champions before professionalism arrived• The mental framework behind elite performance• The untapped commercial potential of badminton in India• Why leagues fail but legacy tournaments matter• How grassroots funding can change lives• Why sport is more than medals — it’s social transformationThis is not just a badminton conversation.It’s about systems, mindset, leadership, and legacy.📘 Book discussed: The Gopichand Factor📍 Guest: Abhijit Kulkarni👤 FOLLOW OUR GUEST: Abhijeet KulkarniX: https://x.com/abk6580?s=11&t=bPrhrNkEpZB9aCa0shOT5QFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/abhijeet.kulkarni.167LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhijeet-kulkarni-b064225a?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios🔔 FOLLOW THE INNER ATHLETEInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinnerathlete.in/X (Twitter): https://x.com/InnerAthlete_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirpai11/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheInner_AthleteWe’re always looking for insightful voices from the world of sport.If you know someone whose story or expertise deserves a platform on The Inner Athlete, recommend them here:👉 Google Form Link : https://forms.gle/aArYuQujuXDG9kCn8Your recommendation could spark our next impactful conversation.Sport has the power to shape individuals, communities, and nations — but only when we understand it deeply.Thank you for being part of The Inner Athlete journey.Stay curious. Stay active. Keep training your inner athlete.🎙️ See you in the next episode.

In this episode of The Inner Athlete, Samir Pai is joined by Isha for an honest, thought-provoking conversation on fitness, motivation, gyms, sports, and human behaviour. The discussion explores why gyms often fail to retain people, the role dopamine plays in motivation, how sports naturally encourage consistency, and why fitness is deeply psychological before it is physical. From resistance training to recreational sport, this episode breaks common myths and offers a fresh, relatable perspective on how people actually engage with fitness in real life.

The Inner Athlete is a podcast that goes beyond scores, trophies, and aesthetics to explore the business, management, psychology, culture, and everyday realities of sport and fitness. Hosted by sports analyst Samir Pai, the podcast features conversations with athletes, professionals, thinkers, and practitioners who help decode how sport truly shapes individuals and societies.Subscribe to The Inner Athlete for in-depth conversations on sport, fitness, performance, and the evolving sports ecosystem.
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