Never on the Backfoot: A Podcast

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 205 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. England are 2-0 down in the Ashes 2023 series against Australia. If the Ben Stokes-led outfit suffers another defeat in the series, they will become the first English team in more than 20 years to lose a home Ashes series. Australia survived an astonishing century from Ben Stokes, ignited by the controversial stumping of Jonny Bair...

Welcome to Episode 204 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. India has named their squads for the two-match Test series and the three-match ODI series against West Indies in July and August. The Test series will be the start of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle for both India and West Indies. The ODI series will also be crucial for India as they amp up the preparation for the ODI World Cup lat...

Welcome to Episode 203 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Australia beat England by two wickets in a thrilling climax to the opening Test of the five-match Ashes series on Tuesday. The visitors set a 281 victory target, began a rain-delayed fifth day on 107 for three but their chances looked remote when they slumped to 227-8. But captain Pat Cummins struck 44 not out in a superb partnership with Na...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 202 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. India's quest for a long-awaited ICC title was prolonged as Pat Cummins and his team humiliated them by 209 runs in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval on Sunday. Needing 444 runs to secure victory in the second innings, India faltered and was dismissed for 234, allowing Australia to claim the victory during the ope...

Welcome back to Episode 201 (Part 2) of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The exciting IPL 2023 has ended with MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings being crowned the champions for a record-equalling fifth time. In the summit clash, the defending champions Gujarat Titans hosted the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, where Ravindra Jadeja held on his nerves to hit two boundaries in the last two deliveries to...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 201 (Part 1) of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The thrilling IPL 2023 has come to a close, culminating in an extraordinary victory for MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings, who claimed their fifth championship title, equaling a remarkable record. The summit clash took place at the home ground of the defending champions, Gujarat Titans, where an exhilarating last-ball showdow...

Welcome to Episode 200 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. This episode features Neha in a candid conversation with her mother, Preeni about Neha's journey and experiences so far in her podcasting life. In this heartwarming and lighthearted episode, we delve into the personal side of the cricket podcast and explore the journey that has led us to this incredible milestone. But it's not just a trip do...

Welcome to Episode 199 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Australia and India were the top two sides of the 69-Test, two-year cycle which saw the two dominate their rivals before heading into a thrilling four-Test series in India which the hosts won by a narrow 2-1 margin. The BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the much-anticipated World Test Championship 2021-23 final. Australia finished at the top...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 198 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. This episode features me, Neha reflecting on the IPL so far and reviewing the same. I’ll be focussing on the matches that have happened from 31st March to 9th April but we will have a look-through of the table and where teams stand, and the purple cap and orange cap holder. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Po...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 197 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. A tense WPL final, a close finish and the first time Harmanpreet Kaur got to put one over rival captain - both national and franchise - Meg Lanning: it was the cherry on top for Mumbai Indians, the winners of the inaugural edition and the maximum team of the WPL. The tournament was short and frenetic but changed much for women's cr...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 196 (Part 2) of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. With less than 3 days to go until the start of IPL 2023, cricket fans from around the globe are eagerly anticipating the start of what promises to be another thrilling season of top-class T20 cricket. The IPL brings together the best players from around the world to represent their respective teams in a fierce battle. Indi...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 196 (Part 1) of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. With less than 3 days to go until the start of IPL 2023, cricket fans from around the globe are eagerly anticipating the start of what promises to be another thrilling season of top-class T20 cricket. The IPL brings together the best players from around the world to represent their respective teams in a fierce battle. Indi...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 195 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Australia defeated India by 21 runs in the third ODI to clinch the series 2-1. With a World Cup looming in the latter half of this year, India certainly needs to iron out a lot of deficiencies and rethink their strategies. On the podcast today to join us for a discussion on the same, we have Ronak Kedia. The podcast is also availab...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 194 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. The WPL is a landmark tournament in the history of women’s cricket and so far the tournament has been brilliant. On the podcast today to join us for a discussion on the same, we have Mohit Shah. He is a freelance journalist who has been associated with ESPNcricinfo, ESPN and Women's CricZone in the past. The podcast is also availab...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 193 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have had a poor run in the inaugural season of the Women's Premier League as they are one of the two teams, along with Gujarat Giants, to be knocked out of the tournament. The Bengaluru-based franchise won just two games out of their share of eight, managing to put up only four points on the board,...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 192 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. After retaining the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2022-23 for the fourth consecutive time and qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final, hosts India locked horns with Australia for the first of the three-match ODI series at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and won the match in an emphatic fashion. On the po...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 191 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Joining me on the podcast today is Dinesha Devnarain. She is a South African former cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler. She appeared in 29 ODIs and 22 T20 Internationals for South Africa between 2008 and 2016, including playing at the 2009 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and captaining the side in 2...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 190 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. 2023 so far has been a massive year for women’s cricket and we expect it to only get better! On the podcast today to join us for the discussion on the same, we have Anshuman and Srivibha. The podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor and a lot of other platforms and spread the word. Do check out...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 189 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Australia won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, again, no surprises there yet we got to see an amazing World Cup with some quality cricket on display. On the podcast today to join us for the discussion on the same, we have Sharadha Sridharan. A professional cricketer having represented Tamil Nadu in the senior category and she is an e...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 188 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. As the Australian women’s cricket team celebrated yet another global title, their Indian counterparts would be facing a nagging “what if”. They were in control of their semifinal against the Aussies, and with the South Africans reaching the final at England’s expense, the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup would feel like one that got...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 187 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Australia comprehensively beat India in the third test in Indore and in the process managed to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship. The Aussies, led by Steve Smith, outclassed Team India in all departments and registered a dominant victory over India. Victory in Indore has surely boosted the morale of the Australia...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 186 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. All-rounders galore would be an apt summary of MI's squad. The nucleus of this team, like many others, would be the experienced internationals who are all match-winners in their own right which means Mumbai have an enviable middle order. The likes of Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon and Hayley Matthews add to the experience in their ranks....

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 185 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Even with the smallest squad size of just 16, the Warriorz give out the impression of a well-balanced squad with back-ups picked for nearly every spot. Deepti Sharma was their costliest purchase at the auction at INR 2.6 crore and even if not chosen to lead, can prove worth every penny as a three-dimensional player. On the podcast...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 184 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Delhi showed research and restraint of a pro, and weren't in a rush to buy or buy big. They in fact had no purchases from the two marquee sets up front. And once the others had consumed a chunk of their purse, Delhi would easily outbid them for a hat-trick of high-quality signings. On the podcast today to join us for the discussion...

Hi there! Welcome to Episode 183 of Never on the Backfoot Podcast. Gujarat Giants were the first ones to recruit a star-studded backroom staff and with Rachael Haynes, Mithali Raj and Nooshin Al Khadeer leading the charge, Gujarat have built a solid squad that boasts of heavy influence from the two traditional giants - Australia for the international flavour, and Railways for the desi tadka. Their...