By Tejas Rane

Sports fans had much to love and loathe during 2012, but the year 2013 promises even more. We've come up with predictions that are as likely to take place as an Indian test victory on foreign soil...

• India will win the ODI series against Pakistan and MS Dhoni will decide to step down as test captain (finally). Dhoni will continue to lead the ODI side against England and will win 5-0 again!
  
  
• Coach Duncan Fletcher will finally have a smile on his face.

• With Rafael Nadal opting out of the year's first grandslam (Australian Open), we will see a surprise winner. We will see nailbiting matches and Andy Murray will finally silence his doubters as he wins his first Australian Open. In the ladies event, Caroline Wozniacki will finally end her hoodoo and win the Championship.

• Leander Paes's 'Rajdhani Express' will be a superhit at the box-office and buoyed by its success, Paes announces retirement from tennis. Mahesh Bhupathi will also call him a 'legend of the game and a superstar in the making'.

• BCCI selectors will finally give Dhoni the cold shoulder and appoint Virender Sehwag as the test captain. Viru will lead the squad in the Australian and South African test series and will win convincingly.

• IPL VI will see yet another team bite the dust. Shah Rukh Khan will exchange more blows with IPL officials, leading to a lifetime ban from attending all further matches. Sachin Tendulkar will retire and take over as coach. Yuvraj Singh leads his Pune Warriors to a maiden IPL victory defeating Chennai Super Kings in the finals.

• Lionel Messi leads Barcelona to another La Liga title win, while Cristiano Ronaldo hints that this may be his last season with Real Madrid.
  
  
  

• The Red Devils will avenge last year's defeat and Manchester United will win the EPL title on goal difference. Robin Van Persie will take his tally of goals to 30. Arsenal finish sixth and manager Arsene Wenger decides to leave.

• Real Madrid win the Champions League at Wembley, defeating Barcelona in the finals. At the end of the tournament, Jose Mourinho steps down as the manager of Real Madrid and says will join an English club!

• The much awaited Hockey India League (HIL) will be a huge success and Indian fans will attend in large numbers, realizing that cricket isn’t the only sport worth patronizing.

• 2012 world champion Sebastian Vettel will be deadly behind the wheel again but will lose out to Fernando Alonso who finally wins the 2013-14 F1 Championship

• Narain Karthikeyan will finally collect points for his F1 team, HRT.
  
  
  

• Rafael Nadal will be sent packing early at the French Open. The clay court will see a winner in Roger Federer, who will defeat Novak Djokovic.

• Rory McIlroy decides to split with long-time girfriend Carloine Wozniacki. He will then lose the Masters Tournament to Tiger Woods in a tight contest.

• Saina Nehwal hints that she might act in a Bollywood film soon
  
  
  

• Sachin Tendulkar buys a stake in the Force India team owned by Vijay Mallya, thereby solving all of the liquor baron’s money problems.