The sports explainer
Stories
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
F1
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
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
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
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
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
Football
What makes El Clásico the biggest rivalry in football?
Barcelona against Real Madrid carries a century of politics and money onto the pitch, between two clubs still owned by their fans.
18 Oct 2026
F1
How did F1's new cars change racing?
Half the power now comes from a battery that can run dry mid-straight. And a 20-year-old is close to the title.
18 Oct 2026
Para sport
How does para sport keep competition fair?
Every para athlete competes in a class. How those classes work, and why every T11 runner races in total darkness.
18 Oct 2026
Badminton
Why do top shuttlers lose in round one?
Sindhu and Lakshya both went out early in Denmark. The way badminton's tour works makes that less shocking than it looks.
18 Oct 2026
Cricket
Why are India's stars playing the Ranji Trophy?
Test players are back in domestic cricket because of a rule. And the trophy is named after a man who played for England.
18 Oct 2026
Football
How did a champion club end up with zero points?
Diamond Harbour won their way into the ISL, then never played a game. Their story explains what promotion really costs in Indian football.
18 Oct 2026