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Amit Varma

The Good and Bad Lessons From T20 Cricket

In this new format, the cost of a wicket goes down, the cost of a dot ball goes up – and thus, the value of aggression shoots up. Because there is demand for more aggression, there is a resultant supply from batsmen, who sharpen their attacking skills. These skills are reflected in other forms of the game as well....
Amit Varma-June 24, 2019, 13:18 IST Cricketnext
A Run-Fest Awaits, and That’s a Good Thing

It is true that bats today are heavier, grounds are made smaller by boundary ropes and rules like using two balls in ODIs have helped batsmen score more runs. But the two key reasons behind the rise of par scores in the last ten years are respectable cricketing reasons that should delight all fans. One, the game has gained from new strategic insights. Two, in keeping with these insights, and the incentives of the more lucrative T20 form of the game, skills have improved across the board, for batsmen, fielders and bowlers....
Amit Varma-May 29, 2019, 16:05 IST Cricketnext
Moving Past the Tyranny of Spells

In a twenty-over game, just as batsmen don’t have the time to settle down, bowlers also have to be on the game from ball one. They don’t have the luxury to find their groove....
Amit Varma-May 11, 2019, 23:50 IST Cricketnext
Induce Mistakes, Avoid Making Them – The Method to Dhoni's Madness

It’s not all that mad, I would argue. Dhoni has himself been circumspect about his chasing philosophy, but the there is a coherent logic behind what he does. At the heart of it is this basic truth about all sport: winning is not about doing something special, but about making less mistakes than your opponent. ...
Amit Varma-April 23, 2019, 11:05 IST Cricketnext
The Future of T20 Looks Like…Dre Russ!

Twenty-20 has changed the grammar of the game. Teams still have 11 players each – but 20 overs instead of 50 or more to get their runs in. This creates urgency. This raises the cost of a dot ball and lowers the cost of a wicket....
Amit Varma-April 22, 2019, 09:34 IST Cricketnext
Resources vs Constraints - Why T20 Teams Need to Attack More

“Give me some tips, Amit,” he implored, his voice cracking with the pain of years of losing money. “I want to win this year.” ...
Amit Varma-March 22, 2019, 15:11 IST Cricketnext
The IPL is Here and Here Are Six Reasons to Celebrate It

The IPL has spawned similar leagues in other countries, and that’s a damn good thing. T20 cricket is not a tamasha, but a strategically and tactically rich form of the game that has changed the lives of both players and viewers for the better. Long live T20 cricket! Long live the IPL!...
Amit Varma-March 17, 2019, 20:31 IST Cricketnext
Why India Should Keep Playing Cricket with Pakistan

You could say that was a mature bunch of guys, and I have no doubt that our current cricketers would be as mature. But is that maturity in evidence among cricket fans and administrators? ...
Amit Varma-February 26, 2019, 14:51 IST Cricketnext
Cricket is the Best Sport Ever and Here is Why

You have no doubt arrived at this site to read about cricket, and the last thing you expect is bloody verse. But as this is a game of glorious uncertainties, why should this site be different? Let me begin this column with a limerick....
Amit Varma-January 25, 2019, 17:26 IST Cricketnext
Three Reasons Why Our Role Models Are Not Ready For That Role

It is one of the ironies of modern sport that those who become role models are often least ready for it. In other fields, it takes years of hard work and living, and by the time you achieve fame, you might also achieve maturity. In sport, you can be a superstar in your teens. The young are works in progress, and it can be unfair to expect them to become role models when they aren’t even fully themselves. When I was 25 years younger, I was as arrogant as Virat Kohli, as misogynistic as Hardik Pandya, and I thank my lucky stars that I could do my growing up outside the glare of cameras....
Amit Varma-January 13, 2019, 14:10 IST Cricketnext
Where Are the 18-Year-Olds Who Will Disrupt Cricket?

I’m tired of the same lazy, ageing ex-cricketers spouting banal clichés. I want choices. Who’s going to provide me with those choices?...
Amit Varma-December 15, 2018, 10:37 IST Cricketnext
Varma: Harmanpreet’s Dilemma, Pujara-Rahane Conundrum and Carlsen’s Pragmatism

This column looks at three situations with different levels of complexity. In all of them, the player involved needs to weigh up probabilities. ...
Amit Varma-November 29, 2018, 09:31 IST Cricketnext
Varma: He's Been a Legend, But Now It's Time to Thank Dhoni for His Services

Maybe Dhoni himself will walk away with grace. Or maybe the one man who is an even bigger star than him, his captain Virat Kohli, will force the issue....
Amit Varma-November 9, 2018, 09:03 IST Cricketnext
Varma: Going, Going, Gone - Damn, I Miss West Indies

How did it come to this? Greatness provokes talent, and you’d imagine that a generation of young West Indian kids would be inspired by geniuses like Richards-Lloyd...
Amit Varma-October 3, 2018, 18:52 IST Cricketnext
Varma: Cricketers Focus on Process, Not Results. So Should Fans

Watching the game would be a richer experience for us if we focus, as the players do, on the journey and not the destination....
Amit Varma-September 15, 2018, 12:56 IST Cricketnext

02 May, 2021 \| Indian Premier League
RPS	vs	DD
166/6 20.0 overs		166/6 20.0 overs

02 May, 2021 \| Indian Premier League
RAJ	vs	SRH
220/3 20.0 overs		165/8 20.0 overs

01 May, 2021 \| Indian Premier League
CSK	vs	MI
218/4 20.0 overs		219/6 20.0 overs

30 Apr, 2021 \| Indian Premier League
RPS	vs	RCB
179/5 20.0 overs		145/8 20.0 overs

29 Apr, 2021 \| Indian Premier League
KKR	vs	DD
154/6 20.0 overs		156/3 16.3 overs

Amit Varma

The Good and Bad Lessons From T20 Cricket

A Run-Fest Awaits, and That’s a Good Thing

Moving Past the Tyranny of Spells

Induce Mistakes, Avoid Making Them – The Method to Dhoni's Madness

The Future of T20 Looks Like…Dre Russ!

Resources vs Constraints - Why T20 Teams Need to Attack More

The IPL is Here and Here Are Six Reasons to Celebrate It

Why India Should Keep Playing Cricket with Pakistan

Cricket is the Best Sport Ever and Here is Why

Three Reasons Why Our Role Models Are Not Ready For That Role

Where Are the 18-Year-Olds Who Will Disrupt Cricket?

Varma: Harmanpreet’s Dilemma, Pujara-Rahane Conundrum and Carlsen’s Pragmatism

Varma: He's Been a Legend, But Now It's Time to Thank Dhoni for His Services

Varma: Going, Going, Gone - Damn, I Miss West Indies

Varma: Cricketers Focus on Process, Not Results. So Should Fans

Photogallery

Live TV

07 May, 2021 \| Pakistan in Zimbabwe
ZIM	vs	PAK

19 May, 2021 \| Scotland in Netherlands
NED	vs	SCO

21 May, 2021 \| Scotland in Netherlands
NED	vs	SCO

23 May, 2021 \| Sri Lanka in Bangladesh
BAN	vs	SL