In the curtain call episode of 99.94 season one, we discuss the results of the Ranji Trophy final. Sandeep Dwivedi and Gaurav Bhatt talk about the reasons that led to Saurashtra's win, how Jaydev Unadkat's leadership contributed to it and whether Bengal could have won in other conditions.

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67: 99.94: How Saurashtra finally won the Ranji trophy

For the upcoming 2020 Olympics, India is sending its biggest boxing contingent with a total of nine boxers. In this episode, Gaurav Bhatt and Mihir Vasavda talk about these boxers, breakdown their techniques and discuss their chances of winning a medal. Additional links: - Rafael Bergamasco father's video (https://bit.ly/3aWk6UT) - Drive to Survive: Season 2 (https://bit.ly/33fcVEw)

66: Game Time: India's chances of winning a medal in boxing at the 2020 Olympics

In the last episode of our fantasy match-up series, we go out with a bang. This time we are not just pitting two players against each other, but two entire teams. On one hand we have the West Indies of the 80s, led by Clive Lloyd (a team that didn't lose a test match for 15 years) and on the other, the Australian team of the late 90s, led by Steve Waugh (a team that played 93 tests and won 72 of them). Our in-house cricket experts breakdown what made these teams two of the greatest in the history of the game and who would win if they were to play against each other.

65: 99.94: Clive Lloyd's 11 vs Steve Waugh's 11

The Olympics has been cancelled only thrice, all three during the world wars. But now, due to the Coronavirus scare, there are talks that that might happen this year. Dick Pound, IOC's longest-serving member, recently said that, 'this is the new war and you have to face it'. In this episode, Mihir Vasavda and Gaurav Bhatt, discuss the impact that cancelling the 2020 Olympics would have on the sporting ecosystem and individual athletes and sports.

64: Game Time: Will coronavirus cancel the 2020 Olympics?

Today, India qualified for the Women’s T20 World Cup final after the semi final match between India and England was washed out at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India qualified for the final on the basis of having finished higher on the points table in the league stage. In this episode, Gaurav Bhatt and Sandeep Dwivedi talk about the stars of India's national team, the stories behind their success, why watching them play dispels myths about cricket and why it an exciting time for women's cricket.

63: 99.94: Why this is an exciting time for women's cricket

The 2022 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Birmingham, UK. But six months before the event is officially declared open, there will be two events hosted by India in Chandigarh – Shooting and Archery. In this episode, Mihir Vasavda and Nihal Koshie, talk about how Indian went from threatening to boycott the games to now hosting two of its events. They discuss what this means for India and how this might be a pilot for future events. Additional link - Nihal's recommendation (http://theconversation.com/fit-for-nothing-where-it-all-went-wrong-for-glasgows-commonwealth-games-legacy-94889) .

62: Game Time: Why India is hosting Shooting and Archery in the Commonwealth Games 2022

Some argue that Kapil Dev was almost as good a batsmen as he was a bowler. And while it would be clear to anyone why his hard hitting batting is still considered one of the greatest, his bowling on the other hand, Sandeep Dwivedi argues, requires expertise to understand. He says Dev had almost a scientific way of getting wickets. In this edition of our fantasy match up series, we pit him (as the bowler) against the current captain of the New Zealand national team, Kane Williamson, who has been consistently compared and ranked along side with giants like Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and David Warner. Our in-house cricket experts, Sandeep Dwivedi and Sriram Veera, discuss who is the better cricketer. Additional link - Kapil Dev mixtape (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvyMO6qIoXQ)

61: 99.94: Kapil Dev vs Kane Williamson

In this past week, atleast two Kambala jockeys, including Srinivasa Gowda, made the news for apparently 'breaking' Usain Bolt's 100m world record. In this episode, Gaurav Bhatt and Nihal Koshie breakdown the entire incident (from Gowda's overnight stardom to him being offered to take part in athletic trails), discuss why this discredits the current Indian sports system and what is perhaps the only silver lining about all this. Additional links: - The picture of Srinivasa Gowda running with the bulls (https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/02/Srinivasa-Gowda-759.jpg) - Shivani Naik's editorial (https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/srinivasa-gowda-kambala-usian-bolt-race-6272914/) - The Guardian piece on Caribbean Olympians (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/15/caribbean-olympics-athletics-genes) - The Budhia Singh biopic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budhia_Singh_–_Born_to_Run)

60: Game Time: What looking for Usain Bolt in a Kambala jockey says about Indian sports

In our last Ranji Trophy nostalgia episode for this season, we look back at the 1998 semi-final match between two friendly rivals - Karnataka and Hyderabad. The match, which featured several prominent players including Rahul Dravid, had one of the best endings in Ranji history, with Karnataka winning by one wicket. Apart from it being a great spectacle, it also ended up being an important turn in Dravid's career. In this episode, Sandip G joins Sandeep Dwivedi and Gaurav Bhatt to talk about what made this match special, what it meant for Dravid and how it helped elevate his career. Further reading: When Dodda Ganesh helped Rahul Dravid’s Karnataka reach 1998 Ranji final (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/from-the-ranji-archive-1998-semifinal-hyderabad-vs-karnataka-rahul-dravid-6249544/)

59: 99.94: What the 1998 KA vs HYD Ranji Trophy semi-final meant for Rahul Dravid

Last week, the Indian javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a throw of 87.86m. In this episode, Nihal Koshie and Gaurav Bhatt discuss whether he can win at the Olympics and the challenges that lie ahead for him. Nihal also talks about why he is frustrated with Indian athletes and why track and field desperately needs a star.

58: Game Time: Can Neeraj Chopra win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics?

This week the match-up is between two Indians - Zaheer Khan and Rohit Sharma. One of the greatest seamers vs a batsman we now rely on in all 3 formats. The second most successful Indian pace bowler in Test cricket vs someone who has scored three double centuries in ODIs. A bowler who understands a batsman like no other vs a batsman who wouldn't let that matter. Listen as Sandeep Dwivedi, Sriram Veera and Gaurav Bhatt discuss who is the better cricketer.

57: 99.94: Rohit Sharma vs Zaheer Khan

Last October, when Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour marathon barrier, there was a lot of scepticism about the shoes that he wore. These were the new, never seen before, Nike Vaporfly shoes, with carbon plates, patented foam and air pods. People made allegations of 'technological doping'. Now, World Athletics has taken a call to ban the use of such shoes that some are calling the 'democratisation of the running shoe'. In this episode, Mihir Vasavda and Nihal Koshie talk about this controversy and how it will impact the sport. Further reading: - Why outlawing Eliud Kipchoge’s Nike shoes helps the sport of running (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/world-athletics-technology-shoe-soles-kenya-eliud-kipchoge-6244996/) - Nike Vaporfly shoes row: Will the shoe get the boot? (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/kenyan-eluid-kipchoge-two-hour-marathon-will-the-shoe-get-the-boot-6218775/) - Technology makes marathon track uneven playing field (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/shoe-bites-technology-makes-marathon-track-uneven-playing-field-6075255/)

56: Game Time: Why Nike's Vaporfly shoe ban is good for the sport of running

99.94 is back with Ranji nostagia. This time, we look back at the 1985 final between Delhi and Bombay - the two giants of domestic cricket that had included most of the top players in the country. In fact, the line up of this final had names like Sunil Gavaskar and Madan Lal (the two captains), Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil, Chetan Chauhan, among others. In this episode, Sandeep Dwivedi, Sriram Veera and Gaurav Bhatt talk about what made the rivalry between the two teams historic, Shastri's role in the match and why the 1984-85 final was part of probably the most successful two months in the history of Indian cricket. Further reading: 1985 Bombay vs Delhi final and time of Ravi Shastri’s life (https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/time-of-his-life-ravi-shastri-ranji-trophy-6222390/)

55: 99.94: The 1985 Delhi vs Bombay Ranji Trophy final

If we look at the current Indian Tennis players, there a few (Yuki Bhambri, Prajnesh, Saketh Myneni) that have managed to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam, but none have managed to win one. And if you take Devvarman out, the last Indian to reach the second round in singles was Leander Paes way back at Wimbledon 2001. So what is ailing Indian tennis? In this episode, Gaurav and Mihir are joined by Shahid Judge to talk about the current crop of Indian player and what is keeping them from winning a title.

54: Game Time: What would it take for India to win a Grand Slam title?

This week, 99.94 brings you a match-up between two legendary Aussies. The former captain of the Australian national team, who has been called the "best since Bradman", Steve Smith, and one of the greatest bowlers in history, who bowled the famous 'ball of the century', Shane Warne. And as a special bonus, Sriram Veera also got in touch with Trentwood Hill, Smith's personal batting coach, for his insights on the match-up. Listen as Veera, Sandeep Dwivedi and Gaurav Bhatt breakdown the geniuses of the two players and share what Hill had to say about the two.

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