Or, it plainly overdid it, to the exclusion of all else, eventually falling flat on its face.
Among these 87 pieces were seven editorials, mini-editorials and opinion pieces, five interviews, and four cartoons.
But it was only on May 28, the day after Srinivasan told a BCCI meeting in Calcutta that he would not resign following his son-in-law’s arrest for his purported involvement in betting, that the ToI coverage took on a more aggressive, advocacy air—eerily reminiscent of the paper’s Commonwealth Games campaign—urging board members, politicians and other sportspersons to speak up or quit to bring pressure on Srinivasan to do the same.
In making the murky BCCI saga its bread, butter, jam and marmalade day after day for 13 days, The Times of India relegated more important but less reader-friendly stories, like the massacre of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh at the hands of Maoists to the inside pages.
May 22
Lead story: IPL fixing scandal could reach the top
Team-owner’s relative [Gurunath Meiyappan] under lens
Phone records link him with betting syndicate
***
May 23
Lead story: Police prepare to question BCCI chief’s son-in-law for betting links Day after TOI‘s report, CSK boss Gurunath Meiyappan elusive
BCCI chief mum on Meiyappan role
Editorial: Clean the Stables
A school dropout, Guru tried to build career in Srinivasan shadow
***
May 24
Cops land at BCCI chief’s family’s doorstep Srinivasan’s son-in-law gets summons, seeks time
[CSK] Team boss lost a crore on bets: Vindoo
BCCI brass faces fixing heat
Rules did not stop him from wearing two hats Industry captain and BCCI power player
From Board chief, the silent treatment
Srinivasan also under CBI lens in Jagan Mohan Reddy assets case
BCCI chief may use his clout
Interview: ‘Those at the top in BCCi should resign’: Lalit Modi
***
May 25
Guru arrested, Srinivasan may lose crown
After hours of grilling, cops say BCCI chief’s son-in-law ‘involved in offence’
Srinivasan rejects growing calls for resignation, threatens to ‘fix’ media
Interview: It’s either Srinivasan or Sahara, says Subroto Roy
India Cements shares at 52-week low
India Cements disowns Gurunath
Is Srini trying to insulate CSK?
Law catches up with the son-in-law
Srinivasan should quit right away, say voices in the BCCI
Interview: A.C. Muthiah has a go at his arch-enemy
***
May 26
Real final: Srinivasan vs Rest of India
Ouster plan: first nudge, then shove
‘I won’t be bulldozed into quitting, media unfair’: Srinivasan
Graphic: 3/4 majority to remove President
Strapline: Someone’s stepping down
Cricket fans should bat for a change
BCCI prez may manage to stay on
Law will take its course: Board chief on son-in-law Srini meets Meiyappan’s lawyers
‘Brand India Cements to take a hit’
IPL needs to cleanse itself from within
Former stars want BCCI prez to go
Srini men start lobbying, Shukla meets Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata
Interview: ‘It was a huge mistake to bring Srinivasan into administration’: A.C. Muthiah
***
May 27
Weak-kneed BCCI falls in line as Srinivasan flatly refuses to walk
Strapline: Chief says he is above board
Editorial: The darkest hour—Srinivasan must quit, followed by the overthrow of cricket’s absentee landlord and revamp of BCCI
***
May 28
Lead story: Why are they silent?
Cartoon: He is taking bets on who’s going to be the first to resign
***
May 29
Lead story: Jyotiraditya Scindia becomes first neta in BCCI to say Srinivasan should resign
Strapline: Across fields, Board boss under fire ‘Time for him to go’
Talking heads with 30 voices
Interview: Srinivasan holds power and wields it: Kishore Rungta
***
May 30
Lead story: Finally, Rajiv Shukla and Arun Jaitley say they too want Srinivasan out
Cracks widen in BCCI, even treasurer Ajay Shirke says he would have quit
Strapline: Chorus against Board boss swells
Six talking heads
Srini still has the numbers to hang on
Cheating case filed against Srinivasan
Strapline: Wheels within wheels
Minieditorial: calling for resignation
Jaitley, Shukla asked defiant Srini to quit; BCCI chief said ‘Not in my nature’
Third edit: The Sons-in-law factor, by Bachi Karkaria
Edit page piece: Rip the veil of silence, by Ayaz Memom
May the foes be with you: all the president’s men are fair-weather friends
The endgame has begun
Dalmiya denies he asked Srinivasan not to resign
No one in BCCI asked for his resignation: Shirke
***
May 31
Lead story: Majority now against Srinivasan, can call BCCI meet to remove him
Strapline: Board boss on a turning pitch
How Srini gave himself a life term
Srini’s conflict of interest hearing from July 16
Cartoon: I’m going to hang on to this post as long as I want
India Cements underperform peers
Anti-Srini camp won’t wait for probe
19 talking heads on which way board meet will go
***
June 1
Lead story: Game all but over for Srinivasan
Six days after BCCI boss declared he had board’s unanimous support, he’s running out of partners His no.2 and no. 3 quit, several more top officials to follow suit
Cartoon: Punchline: The best spot-fixer I’ve seen—he’s so fixed to the spot that no one can get him away from it
***
June 2
Lead story: Srini sets terms for exit, BCCI members unwilling to play ball
Strapline: His four demands
Mini editorial
Srinivasan wanted Shukla to go too
Advertisement: “To run sports in India you don’t need to be good in games, only in gamesmanship”
Srinivasan vs ICC
***
June 3
Lead story: Match result: all out for no loss
Srinivasan to ‘step aside’: some say it’s a face-saver for him, others call it an anti-climax and a sham
Strap line: Will he really sit it out?
Editorial: nation dismayed: BCCI’s credibility lies in tatters as India’s cricket fans are sold a lemon
For Srini, a strategic time out
‘Nobody dared ask Srini to quit, only he spoke for first 40 minutes’
Cartoon: I’ve stepped aside
Srini shot down Shashank Manohar‘s name
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