Alright now setting aside the hang-wringing and generational-transition that has lurked over the 2024-25 BGT, let’s swiftly move into the new year, our optimisto-metres set on, if not on “full of beans then” at least “modestly positive.” Indian sport served the fans well in 2024 and was wrapped up with the understated and mostly underacknowledged Koneru Humpy winning her second world rapid title, just like that. Happynooyah-yall.

But dreaming? Now there’s a thing sports fans do as naturally as breathing.

Left Field takes dreaming very seriously and every new year faithfully sets out its dream cabinet of listed wishes. Which to this date have not come true but hey, there’s always a first time.

Presenting the Left Field 2025 Wish List:

1. The BCCI announces a post BGT re-bonding session of the country’s star players where the following mandatory missives are issued.

# Players must return from overseas tours to their (not IPL) domestic teams because their contract grade and team selection will be linked to first-class/ domestic (not IPL) team participation (over social media following and/ or brand value.)

# Tours will involve warm-up matches before and between Tests and no, these will not be ‘optional’ matches.

# Players of a certain stature and vintage to sign a contract before every tour preventing mid-tour retirements for reasons other than grievous injuries. Sports-related ‘couples counselling’ to be made available onsite for players to talk through issues with whichever coach/ captain/ teammate makes them sulk.

# It will now be incumbent on team management and captain to ensure that when changing ends while fielding, seniors must always be accompanied by juniors to ensure that the old folk don’t lose their way and walk into the path of the opposition batters.

Due to abysmal recent home and away Test series results, the BCCI’s plan to ensure that India only play Tests at a ‘hybrid’ venue – i.e. the Dubai-Sharjah highway – doesn’t actually get off the er… ground only because the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority will have none of it.

2. In a miracle that will be compared to human beings walking on water, the National Sports Governance Bill is approved and passed unanimously and with much embracing across aisles in the monsoon session of parliament. It leads to a public apology from the highest offices for decades of poor governance of Indian sport, a spate of resignations and the ungluing of many sports officials from their fiefdom hot seats. Thus emboldened, the Indian Olympic Association’s Athletes Commission decides to hold real elections and take an oath in public that they swear will abandon their previous persona of rubber stamp and / or post office answerable only to power barons. As the new Sports Regulatory Board of India takes over sporting matters from the courts, the BCCI’s displeasure is made known. Through leaks. A petition is moved to state the obvious – that the BCCI is a serious profit-making television business not a sporting body in charge of quality governance across cricket.

3. The All India Tennis Association issues a media alert stating that there was a big mistake in the announcement of its “Doubles Dream” project. Its new programme is actually called Singles-Mindedness, but the AI ghost in the AITA servers was so confused by the bulk of Indian tennis’ 21st century data that it changed the title and other details of the project itself and sent out its own press release. The Singles-Mindedness Fund would focus on the best singles boys and girls in the country from age 14 to 18 – covering expenses for year-round competition-centric training and travel, accompanied by a coach and trainer as well as racket and kit. In order to ensure doubles aspirants don’t feel left out, it was decided that they would receive free towels and socks embossed with the AITA logo.

4. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ask the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to submit a fresh bid for hosting the 2036 Olympics using the particularly detailed revised criteria. No new stadia or airports or flyovers or metros should feature in their proposal. The IOA must also take the necessary steps – an independent forensic audit and psychological examination of its leaders – in order to begin treatment for their lingering ailment, Multi-Decade-Dysfunctional-Sydrome. Finally in order for the reworked Olympic bid to be considered valid, all information around it from any and every news source, must carry the words: “no, the 2036 Olympics have not already been allotted to Ahmedabad.”

5. Seeking the street cred of fans and much-required momentum to revive the exclusive elite football competition between the cream of European clubs, the Super League consortium decides to go the way of all large multinational corporations and employ an Indian as its head. But, and this is important, given the resentment against income inequalities in pro football, they need someone whose business acumen is matched by a strong sense of austerity, probity and simplicity. This Chief Wholistic Development Officer however, (a closet East Bengal fan) ends up sending a rebel HR rider: for the big earners of football to take home their multi-million Euros wages, they will need to show a minimum of 70 hours of match time per month. The Super League consortium goes into meltdown.

Bring on 2025 and the new year of sport – may it be fully fair and full of fun.