"Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat" is written by which sports journalist and author?

Introduction / Context:
"Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat" tells the real life story of the wrestling coach whose daughters inspired the popular film "Dangal". The book was written by sports journalist Saurabh Duggal. This question checks whether candidates can correctly link an important sports biography with its writer, especially in the context of Indian wrestling and recent cultural portrayals of women athletes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The biography title is "Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat".
• The subject is Mahavir Singh Phogat, a noted wrestling coach from Haryana.
• The options are Rabi Thapa, Saurabh Duggal, Salman Rushdie and Tana French.
• We assume that only one of these is a sports journalist recognized for this work.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is authorship of non fiction sports biographies. Saurabh Duggal is a journalist who has covered wrestling and related sports for Indian media and who authored "Akhada" based on interviews and research on the Phogat family. The other names are associated with very different literary fields. Salman Rushdie is a globally acclaimed novelist. Tana French is known for crime fiction. Rabi Thapa has other literary associations. Recognizing this mismatch between genre and subject helps isolate the correct answer quickly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the central figure of the biography, Mahavir Singh Phogat, who coached his daughters and nieces to become international wrestlers. Step 2: Recall that "Akhada" was released around the time when public interest in the Phogats rose due to the film "Dangal". Media coverage credited Saurabh Duggal as the author. Step 3: Check the options and note that Saurabh Duggal is the only name clearly associated with Indian sports journalism, especially wrestling. Step 4: Recognize that Salman Rushdie is a famous novelist in magical realism, which does not match the style or subject of this sports biography. Step 5: Observe that Tana French writes detective novels set in Ireland and has no connection with Indian wrestling or Mahavir Singh Phogat. Step 6: Conclude that Saurabh Duggal is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, recall reviews of "Akhada" in newspapers and sports websites, which usually introduce Saurabh Duggal as a journalist who spent time in the Phogat household and training spaces. Some articles also mention the book as a source for understanding the real story behind the film adaptation. Comparing this with your knowledge of Salman Rushdie and Tana French makes it clear that they are unrelated to the book. These cross checks support the choice of option B as accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rabi Thapa does not match the widely known author of this specific biography, so option A is incorrect. Salman Rushdie writes complex literary fiction and has not authored a straight sports biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat, making option C wrong. Tana French is known for psychological crime novels set in Ireland, not for non fiction works on Indian wrestling, so option D is incorrect. Only Saurabh Duggal, option B, aligns with journalistic coverage and the actual credits on the book "Akhada".

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may sometimes focus only on famous literary names like Salman Rushdie and overlook lesser known but correct authors such as Saurabh Duggal. Another pitfall is not paying attention to genre, assuming that any successful writer can be matched to any popular book. To avoid this, when revising general knowledge, it is useful to pair each major sports biography with its specific journalist or writer, for example "Akhada" with Saurabh Duggal, so that the correct association is immediately available during the exam.

Final Answer:
Saurabh Duggal