Mic and Magic with Manan

Levon Aronian — former World No. 2, two-time World Cup winner and the man often called the David Beckham of chess — sits down with Manan on Mic & Magic Sports, days after winning the Global Chess League 2026 in Bengaluru with Ganges Grandmasters. Why did he defend Hans Niemann when most grandmasters stayed quiet? What does he really think of Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi? Why does...

They told her she wasn’t fit for the Indian team. At 16, Taarushee Tarun became MVP of India’s Youth National Basketball Championship and played for India at the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026.  In this episode of Mic & Magic with Manan, Taarushee opens up about overthinking, India’s 99–17 win over Oman, thesemi-final loss to Kazakhstan, meeting NBA stars at Basketball Without Borders Asia, th...

He didn’t touch a leather ball until he was 16. At 27, Abhilash Shetty became the Best Bowler of the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 2026 — and a champion left-arm seamer for Karnataka. WHY YOU MUST WATCH This is what the road to Indian cricket looks like when there is no academy, no floodlights and no famous surname — just a wet ground in Mangaluru, a sports quota admission at 16, and a boy who refused...

Indian table tennis star Sathiyan Gnanasekaran discussesbalancing academics, professional sport, and elite-level competition. He opens up about scoring 96% in Class 10 while playing Nationals, 6–7 hours daily training, defeating Sharath Kamal, and lessons from coach Raman. Sathiyan speaks candidly about losing his father days before winning Commonwealth Championship gold, recovering from career-th...

Most of us grow up believing fitness myths that simply aren't true. Does lifting weights stunt your growth? Should children take protein powder? Is expensive gym gear really necessary? Can strength training improve your mental health? And why do so many people feel anxious walking into a gym for the first time? In this episode of Mic & Magic, host Manan sits down with Ahireta Mukherjee — B...

At just 10 years old , A.S. Sharvaanica has already become one of India's brightest young chess talents. A World Championand National Champion, she has defeated Grandmasters online, won the Nationals with a perfect 11/11 score, and dreams of one day defeating Magnus Carlsen. In this episode of Mic & Magic ,Sharvaanica shares how she bounced back after losing her first World Championship ga...

Ranadeb Bose bowled 10,708 deliveries in first-class cricket without a single no-ball — believed to be a world record — and never got his Test cap. In this episode, the man who spotted Mustafizur Rahman and backed Mukesh Kumar at Sourav Ganguly's Vision 2020 trials tells Manan what selectors really look for, why "how to bowl fast" is the wrong question, and what it cost to be one of...

She was 6-0, 5-3 up — two points from her first ITF junior title — when she fell and snapped her ACL. Eight months later, she became India's No. 1. This is Vaishnavi Adkar's story. The guest: Vaishnavi Adkar is India's No. 1 women's singles tennis player, who climbed from outside the world's top 600into the WTA top 400 in a single breakthrough year. The host: Hosted by Manan (1...

He was 14-20 down. Six match points against him. What happened next is why you need to watch this episode till the end. India's badminton smash machine Kiran George (BWF Top 50, Thomas Cup medallist) sits down with 15-year-old host Manan for his most unfiltered conversation yet — pressure, pain,comebacks, and the one David Goggins idea he uses on court every single day. About the host: Manan i...

The first Asian to ever jump over 8 metres sits down with Manan. This is T.C. Yohannan — long jump legend, Asian Games gold medallist, and the man whose national record stood untouched for 30 years. Watch this if you've ever been told you're "not ready yet" — because this entire career started with a 10-year-old falling into a stream for a glass of lemon water, and ended with a n...

He was ranked World No. 64. His opponent was World No. 2 — a three-time World Championship medallist. Sixty-six minutes later, the scoreline read 18-21, 21-12, 21-5, and Indian badminton had a brand-new name to remember. Today on Mic & Magic, Manan sits down with Sankar Subramanian — the left-handed shuttler from Chennai who stunned Anders Antonsen at the Swiss Open and announced himself to th...

Today on Mic & Magic, Manan sits down with someone who proved that history doesn't always come from the people you expect. Anupama Ramachandran picked up a snooker cue at a summer camp when she was just 13 years old. Ten years later, with one perfect shot in 11 seconds, she became the first Indian woman to win the World Snooker Championship. In this episode, Manan explores how a young woma...

We're told sport is about winning — but the real story is what happens in the ten years before the win. Manan sits down with Pooja Arthi, India's No. 2-ranked U-19 women's squash player and Khelo India Youth Games gold medallist, and almost immediately, they land on something most young athletes feel but rarely say out loud: losing to the same opponent for ten straight years can quietl...

He swam five races in a single day. His body gave out. He still won a medal…lying flat on the lane rope, too exhausted to move. Srihari Nataraj is India's fastest backstroke swimmer. 2 Olympics. 14 national records. And he still panics before every race that he might get disqualified. In this episode of Mic & Magic with Manan, we go beyond the medals — into the ice-cold mornings, the mid-r...

She runs in complete silence. No gun. No crowd. No coach. And she's won 5 medals. Meet Harini — a 19-year-old deaf athlete from Chennai who competes at the national and international level in 100m and triple jump. This isn't just a sports story. It's about a girl who was told she couldn't. And a mother who refused to believe it. Her Instagram handle - https://www.instagram.com/_.ha...

What does it take to become an Olympian at 14? She won 9 gold medals at the National Games. She swam at the Paris Olympics at the age of 14. And she still gets nervous before every race. This is the Dhinidhi Desinghu interview you didn't know you needed. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Mic and Magic | Who is Dhinidhi Desinghu? 03:29 Breaking her own national record—what went through her mind at two...

What happens when chess meets business, AI, and superstar athletes? In this episode, Manan sits down with Prachura — a professional chess player and entrepreneur — to talk about blindfold chess, global icons like Hikaru Nakamura, R Ashwin joining chess, and why India could become the next chess superpower. Chapters 00:00 Intro: Mic & Magic with Prachura 01:20 Learning Chess at 4 Years Old 02:1...

Paintball is one of the fastest, most strategic action sports in the world—yet in India, it remains underrated, under-covered, and misunderstood. In this episode of Mic & Magic, Manan steps into the real-life version of Call of Duty to uncover how Indian players are training, competing, and fighting their way to international podiums—often without the spotlight they deserve. From 15-second adr...

Why You Should Watch This What does it take for childhood curiosity to bring international sporting glory within reach? In this episode, a 14-year-old host sits down with a teenage golf prodigy, and the result is an inspiring, honest, and deeply motivating conversation about discipline, sacrifice, family, and dreaming big. This is not just a golf interview — it’s a story about grit, resilience, an...

14-Year-Old Cricket Fan Grills WPL Champion Shreyanka Patil! | Mic and Magic Ep. 1 body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 20px; background-color: #f4f4f4; } .container { background-color: white; padding: 30px; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); } h1 { color: #1DB954; border-bottom: 3px solid #1DB954; padding-botto...

Why you should watch this: Ever wondered what happens when a 14-year-old cricket superfan gets to sit down with India's fearless bowling sensation? This is that conversation—raw, honest, and completely unfiltered. About the Episode: In this episode of Mic and Magic, host Manan, just 14 years old, sits down with the incredible Shreyanka Patil for a conversation that goes way beyond cricket stat...

Mic and Magic - Justin Langer Interview Mic and Magic के इस विशेष एपिसोड में, हम ऑस्ट्रेलियाई क्रिकेट के दिग्गज Justin Langer के साथ बातचीत कर रहे हैं! उन्होंने क्रिकेट और जीवन में सफल होने के लिए बहुमूल्य सुझाव साझा किए हैं, जिसमें अभ्यास और अनुशासन के महत्व से लेकर Matthew Hayden के साथ उनकी अविश्वसनीय साझेदारी की बातें शामिल हैं। एक मजबूत बल्लेबाज बनने, दबाव को संभालने और Shane Warne के अभ्यास...

Mic and Magic - Justin Langer Interview In this special episode of Mic and Magic, we sit down with Australian cricket legend Justin Langer! He shares invaluable insights on what it takes to succeed in cricket and life, from the importance of practice and discipline to his incredible partnership with Matthew Hayden. Guest: Justin Langer | Australian Cricket Coach and Former Cricketer Host: Manan |...

Mic and Magic - Isha Taksale Interview ✅ Correction: At 6:20 Coach's Name is: Smita Kamble and not Smita Shirur In this powerful episode of Mic & Magic with Manan, we sit down with Isha Taksale, one of India's most promising junior rifle shooters, to understand what it truly takes to perform under pressure when it's just you, your mind, and the target. Shooting isn't about brute strength. It's ab...

In this powerful episode of Mic & Magic with Manan, we sit down with Isha Taksale, one of India’s most promising junior rifle shooters, to understand what it truly takes to perform under pressure when it’s just you, your mind, and the target. Shooting isn’t about brute strength. It’s about precision, patience, mental discipline, and staying present for every single shot. From handling distract...