Behind every great Indian cricketer is a story that starts on the Mumbai Maidan.

Today on Inner Athlete, we sit down with Toz Rizvi — sports journalist, cricketer, Mumbai cricket chronicler and the man who covered every great batting record from the Mumbai school circuit. 23 years in sports journalism. A passionate voice for grassroot cricket like no other.

Over two weeks of IPL 2026 action done. Time for the most honest mid-season breakdown you'll find anywhere.

Sameer Pai joins us for a deep, unfiltered dive into everything that's happened — the stunning performances, the struggling franchises, the emerging stars and the big calls that coaches and franchises are getting wrong.

"I'm not asking you to sell me a McDonald's burger while I'm watching the game. Sell me a decent glass of water."K Shriniwas Rao is back on Inner Athlete and this time he holds absolutely nothing back.

One of India's most respected cricket journalists and sports business minds delivers his most comprehensive assessment yet of where Indian cricket, IPL and the BCCI are getting it fundamentally wrong.In this episode we cover:🏏 BCCI is back to square one — the brutal honest assessment🎯 The auction vs draft debate — KSR's definitive take📊 The bucketing of cricket rights — tests, ODIs and T20s sold separately🌍 Why bilateral cricket will take a massive jolt🏆 Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings — the ownership model debate👩 Preity Zinta — the most clued-in franchise owner in IPL🎭 Going to Imran Khan's house in Lahore, spending time with Shane Warne & sitting with Viv Richards🏏 Syed Mushtaq Ali as IPL's feeder system — the blueprint📖 The Time Shield opportunity — Mumbai's forgotten cricket treasure🔔

Sports journalism is undergoing a massive shift.

Traditional media is losing control of the narrative.
Social media creators and independent voices are filling the gap.

The question is no longer who has access,
but who tells the best story.

What is the real X factor behind IPL's explosive growth? Why are teams losing 650 crores a year, and still buying in? And is Mumbai Indians really as invincible as everyone thinks?

In this episode, Sameer Pai joins us for the most comprehensive IPL business and analysis breakdown you'll find anywhere — going deep on the numbers, the history, the franchises and the future.

What does it take to interview Sachin Tendulkar as a trainee journalist?

How do you get 90 seconds with Mike Tyson?And what happens when you cold-call Imran Khan at home?

Today on Inner Athlete, we sit down with one of India's finest sports writers — Akshay Sawai.

Former sports editor at Open Magazine, senior journalist at Midday and ET Panache, and a man who has covered sport across continents with rare depth and flair.

IPL 2026 is here — and this season is different.

It comes on the heels of a T20 World Cup, with redemption arcs, new captains, superstar coaches and youngsters ready to take over. We break it ALL down — unfiltered.

In this episode, Sameer Pai joins us for a complete IPL 2026 season analysis covering:

🏏 Dhoni's real role at CSK — mentor, not player🔥 Kohli & RCB — pressure-free or under pressure?💪 Hardik Pandya — why he should already be India's white ball captain📊 The Triangle Theory — Coach + Captain + Player Role = Team Success🌟 Shreyas Iyer — India's next T20 captain?📍 Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi — the youngsters taking over🧩 KKR's chaos — injuries, Shreyas Iyer exit & Abhishek Nair in the hot seat🏆 Blast from the Past — Best players, captains, spinners, pacers across 18 IPL seasons

He was in Canada in 1999. He played a sport he'd never heard of. And when he came back to India — he forgot about it.Until 2006, when a single coaching instruction brought it all back.

Today, Sunil Vallabhalkar is the man who introduced Pickleball to India — and the sport is growing at 300% per year.

In this episode, we talk about:🏓 How pickleball started & came to India🏢 Why corporate entity structure (Section 8) is the key to building a sport💼 Entrepreneurial opportunities — courts, coaching, equipment, sports tourism👩 Why pickleball is the most feminist sport in India🎓 Career options for youth through pickleball coaching🇮🇳 Pan-India growth — from Mumbai to Gadchiroli