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Strop Weekly

One question about the week in sport, answered in a few minutes. For fans who watch, but never had it explained.

Pickleball

Why is everyone in India suddenly playing pickleball?

Pickleball reached India in 2006 and barely anyone noticed. Now, on Strop's venue list, Delhi NCR has more places offering it than badminton. Here's why it caught on, and whether it will last.

6 Nov 2026 · 5 min read

Was it the car or the driver?

At 20, Kimi Antonelli is F1's youngest champion. His Mercedes was the best car, so was it the car or the driver? His teammate in the same car holds the answer.

4 Nov 2026 · 4 min read

Football

Who is paying for Indian football now?

The ISL is back, and its own clubs now run it. Here's why nobody bid for India's top football league, and how its money compares with the IPL and Europe.

2 Nov 2026 · 4 min read

Illustration: Harry Kane lifting the Ballon d'Or on stage at the gala

Football

How did Kane win the Ballon d'Or without the Champions League trophy?

Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or without Europe's biggest club trophy. What the voters were really judging on, and why it came down to the finest of margins.

30 Oct 2026 · 5 min read

Illustration: An Se Young in a navy kit and headband standing calmly at the net, racket down, while a smaller opponent waits on the far side of the court

Badminton

How do you beat a player who almost never loses?

An Se Young beat PV Sindhu in Sunday's French Open final. She has lost one match all year, and that one loss shows how she can be beaten.

28 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Illustration: a jury table with country flags and ranked ballots for the Ballon d’Or vote; one chair stands empty with an Indian tricolour scarf and a press badge marked 138.

Football

Who picks the Ballon d'Or, and why can't India vote?

Tonight's winner is chosen by one journalist from each of the world's top 100 football nations. India isn't one of them.

26 Oct 2026 · 3 min read