Rabindra Puraskar
1 appearances
-
Edition 89 (2018) Winner
Boria Majumdar
ボリア・マジュムダー
Boria Majumdar
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1976-03-08 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India）
- Nationality
- India
- Languages
- English, Bengali
- Residence History
- Kolkata (West Bengal), India → Oxford, United Kingdom (study period)
Career
- Occupations
- Sports journalist, Sports historian, Author
- Active Years
- 1997-
- Affiliations
- RevSportz (founder / operator), University of Central Lancashire (Senior Research Fellow), La Trobe University (Distinguished Visiting Fellow), University of Chicago (Visiting Lecturer)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presidency College (University of Calcutta) | Faculty of Arts / History | Department of History | B.A. | 1994–1997 | India |
| University of Calcutta | Faculty of Arts / Modern History | Department of History (Modern History) | M.A. | 1997–1999 | India |
| St John's College (University of Oxford) | Graduate / DPhil programme | Social history (DPhil on the social history of Indian cricket) | DPhil | 2000–2004 | United Kingdom |
Presidency College (University of Calcutta)
Faculty of Arts / History
/ Department of History
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1994–1997
Year of Graduation:
1997
Country:
India
University of Calcutta
Faculty of Arts / Modern History
/ Department of History (Modern History)
Degree:
M.A.
Period:
1997–1999
Year of Graduation:
1999
Country:
India
St John's College (University of Oxford)
Graduate / DPhil programme
/ Social history (DPhil on the social history of Indian cricket)
Degree:
DPhil
Period:
2000–2004
Year of Graduation:
2004
Country:
United Kingdom
Studied as a Rhodes Scholar; doctoral thesis later published as a book.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Rhodes Scholarship | — | — | Rhodes Trust | 受賞 |
Rhodes Scholarship
1999
Organization:
Rhodes Trust
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Twenty-Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket
2004 Non-fiction / Sports historyBased on his doctoral thesis, this book examines the social history of cricket in India, analysing the sport's development from the colonial period to modern times and its social implications.
Colonial historySport and societyCricket culture
Playing It My Way (co-author; Sachin Tendulkar autobiography)
2014 Non-fiction / Autobiography (ghostwritten)Co-writer of Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography, recounting his cricketing career and personal life.
Professional sports careerPersonal historyMedia and stardom
Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians: The On and Off the Field Story of Cricket in India and Beyond
2018 Non-fiction / Sports cultureDiscusses cricket's popularity in India and its socio-cultural significance, exploring the relationship between sport and national identity through various examples and personalities.
National identity and sportMedia and commercializationPlayer image and hero-making
A History of Indian Sport Through 100 Artefacts
2017 Non-fiction / Sports historyTraces the history of Indian sport through 100 artefacts and documents, using material culture to illustrate historical change.
Material cultureSports historyArchive-based study
Banned: A Social Media Trial
2024 Non-fiction / Media studiesExamines his ban by the BCCI and the role of social media in controversies, using his own case to discuss how social media operates and the dynamics of online trials; reported to have become a bestseller after its release.
Social mediaJournalistic ethicsDefamation and accountability
Bibliography
- Twenty-Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket (2004)
- Playing It My Way (co-author; Sachin Tendulkar autobiography, 2014)
- A History of Indian Sport Through 100 Artefacts (2017)
- Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians (2018)
- Banned: A Social Media Trial (2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Non-fiction combining historical scholarship with journalistic narrativeExpository style blending facts and illustrative anecdotes
- Recurring Motifs
- Intersection of cricket and Indian societyRelationship between media and sportHero-making and collective memory
Legacy
As a sports historian and journalist, he has contributed to the study and public understanding of cricket in India; however, his career has also been marked by controversy, notably the BCCI ban. He is a figure whose academic work and media presence coexist with public disputes.
In Popular Culture
- Wider recognition through co-authoring Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography
- BCCI sanction and subsequent book treated as case studies in media controversies
Trivia
- Selected as a Rhodes Scholar in 1999.
- Co-writer of Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography 'Playing It My Way' (2014).
- Reportedly banned by the BCCI for two years in 2022 over the Wriddhiman Saha matter.
- Doctoral thesis was published as 'Twenty-Two Yards to Freedom' and received academic recognition.