Kabaddi has travelled a remarkable journey - from dusty village fields to packed stadiums, prime-time television, and a professional league that has transformed the sport in India.

In this episode of A Century of Stories: India, host Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Suhail Chandhok, CEO of U Mumba and broadcaster, one of the most recognizable voices in Indian sport, to explore the fascinating rise of Kabaddi.

The conversation traces the sport’s ancient roots, its presence across Asia, and its evolution from a traditional rural pastime into one of India’s fastest-growing professional sports leagues. Suhail reflects on the launch of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), the role of institutions like the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), and how broadcasters, sponsors, and team owners helped bring the sport into the mainstream.

Is Kabaddi truly becoming India’s second-biggest sport after cricket? And what does the next decade look like for this rapidly evolving game?

Watch the full conversation to understand the past, present, and future of Kabaddi. Episode out now on A Century of Stories: India’s YouTube Channel.

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What does the smell of rain have to do with a 3,000-year-old city on the banks of the Ganges? In this episode of A Century of Stories India, host Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Pranav Kapoor, 8th-generation perfumer and a trained chef from Kannauj, to explore Petrichor, the science behind scent and memory, and India’s ancient distillation techniques that predate modern perfumery.

From copper stills and raw botanicals to the rise of perfume tourism, this conversation traces how fragrance shapes culture, ritual, identity, and the future of Indian craftsmanship.

Watch the full episode now on A Century of Stories: India’s YouTube Channel and rediscover why Kannauj remains the perfume capital of India.

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The BCCI has grown from strength to strength in the past couple of decades to become the strongest cricketing board in the world, also aided by the riches brought to it by the success of the Indian Premier League. Writer and administrator Amrit Mathur, who was at the centre of it all in the ‘90s, tells the story of how BCCI moved from being on the periphery of the cricketing world to sitting on the throne in a matter of three decades in this episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIRST Bank.

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The 17th edition of the Asia Cup is upon us, and on this occasion we bring to you an episode on the storied history of this tournament that began with the idea of bringing the Asian cricket playing nations closer in the early 80s. While the tournament has had some great cricket over the years, it has also made news for reasons beyond the pitch. Amrit Mathur, who was once offered the role of the CEO of the governing body of this tournament takes us through the fascinating journey of Asia Cup on this episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIRST Bank.

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A proper box-office cricketer who entertained with both bat and ball, Yuvraj Singh’s life and career also had all the ingredients of a blockbuster movie. His father’s obsession to make a cricketer out of him, the change he brought to the Indian team, his struggles to find a place in Tests despite obvious talent and his comeback after a battle with Cancer are some of the many chapters that make Yuvraj’s career so fascinating. Ace journalist Sharda Ugra, who co-authored a book with the cricketer after his comeback to the game in 2013, tells us the stories that made Yuvraj Singh the larger-than-life figure that he went on to become in this episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIRST Bank.

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We have all seen them on our screens, producing one superlative performance after another. But how are our favorite cricketers when the cricketing limelight isn’t on them? Journalist and TV host Gaurav Kalra who has worked in the television industry for decades talks candidly about the cricketers he had the opportunity to work closely with in his career in this special episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIRST Bank.

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In this episode of A Century of Stories, Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Rochelle Pinto, Head of Editorial Content at Vogue India, for a deep dive into the evolution of fashion — from red carpets to real life. Rochelle traces the biggest influences on Indian fashion, unpacks how today’s young generation's fashion reflects a world that’s constantly shifting and pulls back the curtain on the Met Gala.

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Just a few months away from the Women’s 50-over World Cup at home, Team India has made a strong impression under Harmanpreet Kaur by winning a T20I and ODI series in England. The success of this team in the past few years is built on the groundwork laid by several generations of women cricketers who played the game for passion. Former team India Captain Anjum Chopra, whose 17-year long career for India began in 1995, tells us what all has changed in Indian women’s cricket in the past 25 years to bring it where it stands today in this special episode of A Century of Stories: Cricket podcast presented by IDFC FIRST Bank.

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