Orijit Chaliha, India Men’s Badminton Player

Behind the medals and victories, mental health plays a big part in an athlete’s life and career. Athletes are often admired for their strength and toughness, but many quietly face mental health challenges.Top athletes like Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, Tyson Fury, Serena Williams and Indian stars such as PV Sindhu, Virat Kohli and many others have been vocal about the mental side of their careers.A 2019 review by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that many top male athletes in team sports like hockey, football, cricket, and rugby face mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. Nearly 45 % of these athletes reported experiencing such symptoms, showing that even elite players struggle with mental health. The review also found that some male athletes use substances like painkillers and opioids to manage pain, recover from injuries, or cope with stress from training and competition.In a conversation with Orijit Chaliha, an Indian men’s singles badminton player from Guwahati, Assam, the shuttler shed light on his struggles and why it’s important for athletes to prioritise mental health.The former Junior India No. 2, Chaliha is now ranked 20th in senior rankings, with a career-high national rank of 9 and a world ranking of 156.He won his first senior international medal, a silver, at the 2025 Victor Croatian International.Currently he is based in Bangalore, where he trains under Arvind Bhatt, a two-time national champion in men’s singles, at Simply Sport Badminton Academy.

Orijit Chaliha holds his silver medal at the Victor Croatian International.

Mental health in sports is finally getting the attention it deserves, and more athletes are speaking openly about their challenges. Orijit believes this change is helping normalise conversations about mental wellbeing. “More athletes are talking about their hardships and their journey, whether on YouTube, Instagram, or other platforms. This encourages others to open up as well,” Orijit told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive chat. “Physical struggles were always highlighted, but mental struggles were considered taboo for a long time. That is changing now.” When asked if he had faced any mental challenges in his career, and how he dealt with them, Orijit opened up about his experiences.Orijit shared that he faced a major mental challenge in 2020, soon after moving from the U-19 circuit to the senior level. The constant routine of daily practice began to feel exhausting and repetitive, and he started experiencing burnout.“It reached a point where winning didn’t feel exciting and losing didn’t bother me either. I just lost the motivation to play,” he said.At the time, Orijit said he found it difficult to deal with those feelings, especially since many people believed that skipping practice could harm an athlete’s career.

Orijit Chaliha

Despite this pressure, he chose to take a break from badminton until he genuinely felt the desire to return, and he credits his support system for standing by him during that decision. Stepping away from the sport helped him see the bigger picture and reflect on his relationship with the game. “Eventually I made a bold decision to take a break from the sport and distance myself from it indefinitely and get back to it once I felt the desire to play again. I’m extremely fortunate to have a support system who supported this decision.“Being away from the sport helped me look at the bigger picture and separate myself from the everyday grind and look at things rationally. I found it difficult to do this while I was involved in the whole routine.” he said.After a few months of reflection, Orijit gradually regained his love for the game and slowly returned to practice at his own pace, with his motivation to compete eventually coming back.“When I returned to full-time training, I carried the lessons I had learned during that break,” he explained, adding that he now focuses on keeping practice both fun and challenging while paying attention to his mental wellbeing and trusting himself.

Orijit Chaliha

Orijit emphasised that accepting criticism and failure is key to professional growth. “At some point in your career, you realise criticism and failure are part of the process of becoming a champion. The better you play, the more people will notice your performance—it’s inevitable that some of it will be negative,” he explained.He added that criticism can even be seen as a privilege. “When people critique you, it shows you’re making an impact. Failures teach you what to improve, and using that feedback makes you a stronger player,” he said.When asked about the growing mental health support for athletes in India, Orijit said the system is slowly improving.“National centers, especially in badminton, now hire psychologists who travel with players for domestic and international tournaments. A few years ago, this was unseen. Now, players can talk to psychologists before and after matches, which is a huge step forward,” he said.When asked about how athletes handle pressure in India compared to other countries, he said there’s a noticeable difference.“Players in Western countries usually take criticism more easily, while in India and other Asian countries, athletes and their support teams are tougher on themselves. It’s stricter, but it also helps build resilience,” he said.

Orijit Chaliha

Orijit emphasised the importance of acceptance and preparation. “Pressure will always be there. It’s important to treat it as normal and find strategies that work for you. Take time off the court to think about situations that make you feel pressured and plan how you’ll handle them. Accepting pressure and preparing for it helps build resilience,” he said.When asked about staying motivated during low points, Orijit shared his personal mantra: “The only way is through.”He explained, “Whatever challenge comes your way, the only way to overcome it is by going through it. Every situation is a learning opportunity, and facing obstacles makes you stronger and a better athlete.”

India’s information technology stocks is on track to record its eighth straight week of losses, a slide that has erased nearly Rs 7.7 lakh crore in market value. Investors are now grappling with a crucial question: does this slide mark the ultimate fall of IT shares, or is it a golden buying opportunity in disguise?The Nifty IT index is expected to end Friday in negative territory for the eighth consecutive week, pushing the total market capitalisation of its 10 constituent companies to below Rs 25 lakh crore. The prolonged sell-off has significantly eroded investor wealth, with the pace of decline rarely seen outside major market downturns.

Where is the sector headed?

Historical patterns suggest that extended losing streaks in the sector have sometimes been followed by quick rebounds. Take the instance of 2022 when, the index declined for eight straight weeks in April and May, before recovering 4.4% in the following week. Go back further to July 2008 for a similar pattern,when a seven-week fall was followed by gains of around 3–5% in the next week. Even the longer 12-week slide between January and mid-April 2001 eventually ended with a jump. The latest downturn accelerated in February when foreign investors sharply reduced their exposure to IT stocks. According to NSDL data, foreign institutional investors sold shares worth about Rs 17,000 crore during the month. The outflow occurred in two phases, around Rs 11,000 crore in the first half of February and another Rs 5,993 crore between February 15 and 28. While overseas investors exited the sector, one large domestic fund moved in the opposite direction. PPFAS Flexicap Fund, which manages assets of Rs 1.34 lakh crore, took a contrarian position and increased its holdings in several IT majors during the decline. Portfolio disclosures for February showed the fund purchased 4.3 million shares of HCL Tech, 4.2 million shares of Infosys and 1.9 million shares of TCS. The buying came during a month when IT stocks tumbled about 20%, marking their steepest monthly drop since the 2008 global financial crisis.

What’s the outlook?

Brokerage houses remain divided on the sector’s outlook. Jefferies warned that artificial intelligence could reshape the structure of the IT services business. According to the brokerage, AI “may structurally change IT business mix towards consulting/implementation while shrinking managed services. This would not only increase cyclicality but also require a change in talent/operating model—thus adding risks.” The firm cautioned that in a worst-case scenario, stock valuations could decline by another 30–65%, with Wipro having the lowest downside risk and Coforge the highest. Even under more moderate projections — including a 3% reduction in growth during FY26–FY36 and 1% lower terminal growth — price-to-earnings multiples could still fall by 10–35% for large IT companies and up to 15% for mid-sized firms, ET cited the firm. Jefferies has downgraded several stocks as a result. Infosys, HCL Tech and Mphasis were moved to Hold, while TCS, LTIMindtree and Hexaware were downgraded to Underperform. The brokerage also cut price targets by up to 33% and said that IT stocks currently present more downside risk than upside potential. Emkay Global has also turned cautious, lowering its earnings estimates for FY27 and FY28 by 1% and 2% respectively. It reduced target valuation multiples for IT services companies by about 20% and for BPO firms by roughly 32%, saying the changes reflect “conservative assumptions on required terminal growth.” Axis Mutual Fund has maintained an underweight stance on the sector due to cautious demand conditions in the United States. “While rupee depreciation and attractive absolute valuations offer some comfort, relative valuations versus global peers remain elevated,” the fund said. In contrast, brokerage Nuvama has taken a more optimistic view, arguing that concerns about the decline of traditional software services are overstated. Referring to Mark Twain’s remark that “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” the brokerage said fears around the sector’s long-term viability are misplaced. “We see no existential threat from Gen-AI, as we believe the requirement for a system integrator—which can customise an enterprise’ plug-and-play software’s input and output as per its requirements—shall always exist,” Nuvama said. “We also note B2B adoption of any technology is very different from that of the B2C segment. Eventually, enterprises going for automation of tasks shall still need someone to take ownership of the system—and that will be IT Services firms.” The brokerage said IT services companies may experience revenue cannibalisation in the early phase of the shift, something it believes is already happening, before reaching an inflection point. After that, the opportunity could expand the sector’s total addressable market to $300–400 billion by 2030, according to projections cited from Infosys management. Nuvama also noted that the recent correction has significantly improved valuations. “Post the recent sharp correction, we find the valuations of all stocks highly attractive,” it said, adding that reverse DCF calculations indicate very low terminal growth expectations. Following this view, the brokerage upgraded HCL Tech, Wipro, TechM and Hexaware to Buy and now holds a bullish outlook on all the top 10 IT stocks. With the sector facing its longest losing streak in years, the debate among investors has intensified. While some warn that artificial intelligence could reshape the industry and pressure valuations further, others view the sharp correction as a potential opportunity after a steep fall in prices.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Nearly a decade after one of the most dramatic finishes in T20 World Cup history, former Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah has revisited the painful memories of his team’s heartbreaking defeat to India in the 2016 tournament. Speaking during a recent appearance on the Simply Sayeed podcast, the veteran all-rounder reflected on how the narrow loss in Bengaluru still lingers in his mind.

The match, played on March 23, 2016 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, ended in a stunning one-run victory for India national cricket team against the Bangladesh national cricket team. For Bangladesh players, especially Mahmudullah, the defeat became a deeply emotional experience that taught them lasting lessons about handling pressure at the highest level.

The dramatic final over that changed everything

Bangladesh seemed firmly in control during the final moments of the match. Chasing a modest target of 147, they needed just 11 runs from the final over, which was bowled by a young Hardik Pandya.

The equation quickly tilted further in Bangladesh’s favour. Wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim smashed back-to-back boundaries off the second and third deliveries, leaving Bangladesh needing only two runs from three balls with two well-set batters – Rahim and Mahmudullah – at the crease.

But what followed became one of the most unbelievable turnarounds in cricket history.

Pandya struck on the fourth delivery when Rahim was caught at deep mid-wicket. The pressure immediately shifted back to Bangladesh. On the next ball, Mahmudullah attempted to finish the game with a big shot but ended up hitting straight to Shikhar Dhawan near the boundary.

With two runs needed off the final ball, the tension inside the stadium was palpable. New batter Shuvagata Hom failed to connect cleanly, and in a dramatic finish, MS Dhoni produced a lightning-fast run-out of Mustafizur Rahman to seal a miraculous victory for India.

Looking back, Mahmudullah admitted that his decision-making in that crucial moment still haunts him.

“At that particular moment I was thinking that if we just hit one boundary we would win. To be honest, that was dumb,” Mahmudullah confessed.

Now 38 and retired from international cricket, he acknowledged that a calmer approach might have changed the outcome.

“I will try to put it in the gap and take a two,” he reflected while describing what he would do differently today.

Mahmudullah had also taken responsibility for the defeat immediately after the match in 2016.

“I made a senseless mistake and was responsible for the defeat. I just want to say – I apologise to everyone.”

Tears, regret and a life-changing lesson 

The heartbreak of that night extended well beyond the final ball. Mahmudullah recalled how the entire Bangladesh team struggled to process the loss after coming so close to defeating India on their home soil.

“I don’t know what happened in that game against India. That was tragic. It was very heartbreaking,” he said.

The emotional aftermath was intense, with players openly breaking down both on the field and later at the hotel.

“We cried on the ground. When we got back to the hotel, we cried. Me, Mushfiqur Rahim, we all cried. Many other members were crying as well because we were so close to beating India.”

For Bangladesh cricket, a victory that night would have been historic. Beating India in India at a World Cup would have marked a huge moment for the team. Instead, the defeat eventually led to their exit from the group stage, while India advanced to the semi-finals.

Despite the lingering pain, Mahmudullah believes the experience ultimately shaped him as both a player and a person.

“I think that was a great lesson I’ve learned in my life. I did a horrible mistake. It burns me all the time whenever I think about it. But I think I’ve learned from that mistake. Once I heard that ‘you burn you learn.’ So, I was burned on that day,” he said in a 2020 interview.

In his latest reflection, he described the defeat as a turning point in his life.

“Personally, in my life that was a very life-changing lesson for me. You drag it to the last ball and you finish it off,” he said.

The match remains one of the most iconic contests between India and Bangladesh. India had earlier posted 145 for 9, with contributions from Suresh Raina and Dhoni, but the total seemed below par on a good batting surface.

Also READ: Nahid Rana, Tanzid Hasan Tamim shine as Bangladesh crush Pakistan in the first ODI

MUMBAI: The BMC, which had invited bids for the desilting of the Mithi river ahead of the monsoon, received no response from contractors till its March 11 deadline, forcing the civic administration to extend the tender deadline to March 17.The proposed desilting work is planned in three phases, covering the stretch from Filter Pada to Mahim creek, and is considered to be crucial for the city before the onset of monsoon.Civic officials said the river accumulates large amounts of silt every year, which reduces its carrying capacity and increases the risk of flooding. Earlier this month, concerns had emerged within the BMC administration about a possible lack of interest from contractors in the tender, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing probe by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police into the alleged Mithi river desilting scam.The investigation last year led to the arrest of civic officials and contractors over alleged irregularities in desilting works.In a first this year, the civic body had reduced both the quantity of silt to be removed and kept it at 1.65 lakh metric tonnes, a steep reduction from 2.67 lakh metric tonnes last year, also bringing the contract value down by nearly half – from Rs 48 crore to Rs 29.5 crore. Officials said that the Mithi river flows through several low-lying and flood-prone areas such as Kurla, LBS Marg and Chunabhatti, making annual desilting critical to prevent waterlogging at the time of heavy rainfall. During a recent meeting of the civic standing committee, BJP corporator from Malad Tajinder Tiwana, in a point of order, questioned why the civic body could not carry out the work directly through its own machinery and staff if contractors were unwilling to participate in the tender process. BJP’s Mumbai chief Ameet Satam had also last week in a letter he sent to Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde as well as the civic chief pointed out the same.However, officials said, “The work on desilting the Mithi river needs to begin from April 1 latest as it will increase the carrying capacity of the river.” At the same time, there are serious apprehensions about whether the municipal corporation will be able to carry out the work departmentally. Last year, after contractors abandoned the work mid-way, the BMC had made serious attempts to get other contractors to complete the remaining portion of the work. However, at that time as well, no other contractor came forward to take up the remaining work ahead of the monsoon season.