Sports Playbook
Padel makes its Asian Games debut this month. Five sports from the Aichi-Nagoya programme you can genuinely take up in an Indian city, and what starting costs.
Cycling
Going clipless, without the jargon. Which cleat system suits Indian roads, how float protects your knees, and how to set cleats up so you don't topple at the signal.
Running
Cool mornings, terrible air. How to keep a running block alive through North India's smog season — AQI thresholds, timing, masks and the indoor fallback.
Cycling
An entry-level Marin hardtail for dirt roads and easy trails. What the Bolinas Ridge 1 gets right at ₹36,199, and who should buy something else.
Tennis
Poly mains, softer crosses: how hybrid tennis string setups work, what tension to ask your stringer for, and what it costs in India.
Fitness
One frame instead of a rack, cables and attachments. When a home multi-gym is the right buy in India — and when a bench and plates beat it.
Golf
Lie angle is the highest-impact, lowest-cost fix in golf. What a club fitting in India actually measures, and the order to spend your money in.
Swimming
Pools reopen after the rains and two months of unused gear comes out of the bag. A practical September swim kit refresh for India.
Table Tennis
Only water-based, VOC-free glue is legal for table tennis rubbers. Here is how to apply it properly, how much to buy, and how to make rubbers last.
Fitness
A rugged, long-battery training watch in a smaller case. Where the Garmin Instinct 2S earns its price in India — and where it does not.
Padel Sport
Court fees, racket, balls and bag — a straight breakdown of what it costs to start playing padel in India in 2026.
Cricket
PVC, PU or sheep leather? A plain-English price guide to cricket batting gloves in India, and where the extra money actually goes.