A weekly India Today podcast, Sledging Room is a sports show which will hold discussions related to sports, especially cricket. This is a podcast with a difference, a podcast where tempers will flare and participants, to put it mildly, are not always polite. For your weekly dose of sporting hostilities, this is your final destination. Sledging Room will dissect views and bring in new perspectives with a dash of irreverence.
Asia Cup wild ride: No trophy for India. No dignity for Pakistan | Sledging Room S3, Ep 15
The Asia Cup turned out to be an ugly affair. Dominated by off-field drama, the continental tournament made headlines for the wrong reasons more often than not.
India and Pakistan met three times, including a historic first in the final. Yet, their battles will be remembered more for the tensions on the field than for any memorable cricketing moments.
From the handshake snub to provocative gestures by Pakistan players, the India-Pakistan clashes were a disappointment for purists of the sport. India, however, simply took a stand they believed in. Pakistan, on the other hand, opted for the ugly route, focusing on theatrics rather than cricket.
The drama reached its peak on the final day when Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the trophy after India refused to accept it from him.
In the latest episode of the Sledging Room podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Alan John, and Kingshuk Kusari reflect on what was arguably one of the most controversial cricket tournaments in history.
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Produced By Areeb Raza
Sound Mix By Aman Pal
19 Sept 2025
Asia Cup: Has the PCB become the team’s biggest enemy? | Sledging Room, S03, Ep 14
When Pakistan finally took the field against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, the Asia Cup match began under a cloud that had little to do with form or tactics. An hour-long delay, frantic calls between Lahore and Dubai, and the sudden spectre of a boycott turned routine pre-match preparations into a full-blown media circus.
This episode was not an isolated burst of indignation. It was the latest in a familiar pattern: a board that prizes theatrics and brinkmanship over consistency, with players left carrying the collateral damage.
Fans can debate whether the handshake snub was provocation, misunderstanding, or politicisation by India. The bigger question is simpler: did the PCB protect its players, or use them as bargaining chips? The answer is grimly obvious.
Yes, there is merit in defending players from perceived slights. But there is a world of difference between a quiet procedural protest and a public demand that risks boycotting a tournament. One seeks resolution. The other seeks optics. The PCB chose optics — and the players bore the weight.
In the latest episode of the Sledging Room podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Alan John and Debodinna Chakraborty discuss how Pakistan scored an own goal, again! 
Produced by Nikhil Khattar
 
Sound mixed by Aman Pal
12 Sept 2025
Asia Cup: Is India vs Pakistan Still Cricket’s Biggest Rivalry? | Sledging Room, S03 Ep 13
India and Pakistan are set to clash in the Asia Cup group stage on Sunday in Dubai. The much-anticipated contest comes amid cross-border tensions and calls in India to boycott the game. Unlike previous high-voltage encounters, the hype this time feels muted. As of Friday, even the tickets were not sold out.
On paper, there remains a clear gap in talent and class between the two sides, even in T20 cricket. India, the reigning world champions, look far stronger. Pakistan, missing their key batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, are still trying to adapt to the modern approach in the shortest format.
Sunday’s game could well turn into a one-sided affair, with India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, eager to assert dominance over their arch-rivals. The Indians sent out a strong message in their opening match against UAE, bowling them out for just 57 runs and chasing the target in only 4.3 overs.
The question remains: does Pakistan have the bowling firepower to trouble India and make this contest competitive? If not, another lopsided result could further dent the already waning quality of this once-fierce rivalry between the neighbours.
In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Kingshuk Kusari, and Saurabh Kumar discuss the imbalance between the two teams and what to expect from the India–Pakistan tie in the Asia Cup.
Produced by Nikhil Khattar
 
Sound mixed by Aman Pal 
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
4,963,785,222
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
4.3 / 5
52 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 79 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
90
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
77
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