Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

Jalaj Saxena was leaving the field after the end of the Gujarat innings. There was a helmet in his right hand raised above in an expression of triumph. That protective equipment will become an important exhibit if the Kerala Cricket Association ever builds a museum. A rebound off that helmet worn by Salman Nizar at short-leg carried to slip, which gave Kerala a decisive first-innings lead of two runs. The state mad about football made its maiden entry to the final of a senior men’s event in cricket, thanks to that last-gasp ‘header’ in a drama-filled first 20 overs on…

The Ranji Trophy semi-finals are showing a direction. After the fourth evening, Gujarat and Vidarbha were close to the final. Coincidentally, players who ply their trade with the left hand, were the major protagonists. Gujarat need 29 runs with three wickets standing to secure a decisive first-innings leadagainst Kerala. Vidarbha have to defend 322 runs or take seven wickets to knock out Mumbai. Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur Yash Rathod is a middle-order bat, who had made over 700 runs before this match and yet, Karun Nair was the most celebrated Vidarbha player. The 24-year-old left-hander followed up his…

Vidarbha fought their way to a position of advantage against Mumbai, while Gujarat forced their way close towards the driving seat against Kerala after Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. There were sub-plots and characters, who seized their moments to propel their teams forward. However, it was far from over in both venues, with two more days to go. Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur After a long time, a specialist batter led Mumbai’s rearguard act. Playing his fourth game at this level, wicketkeeper-opener Akash Anand converted his overnight 67 to 106. His team finished at 270, from 118/6.…

The pendulum swung wildly as far as the behaviour of the matches was concerned on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. It was topsy-turvy between Vidarbha and Mumbai in Nagpur, where a three-wicket over from Parth Rekhade sparked madness on a day that claimed 12 wickets. In Ahmedabad against Gujarat, Kerala were slow yet steadfast in their attempt to bat big and deep. Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur The 42-time champions did well to terminate Vidarbha for 383 from 308/5 overnight. Shivam Dube came up with his third first-class five-wicket haul and did that in the role of…

Teams winning the toss chose to bat and reached contrasting positions after Day of the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. Hosting Mumbai in Nagpur, Vidarbha reached a good-looking 308/5 despite having no scores in three figures. In Ahmedabad against Gujarat, Kerala saw a number of batters fail to convert starts and made 206/4 on a day of slow batting, especially in the final session. Vidarbha vs Mumbai, VCA Stadium, Nagpur A couple of scores in the seventies and Karun Nair falling five short of 50 were talking points, but the highlight of the day was Shivam Dube getting rid of two well-set…

In the headlines a few weeks ago, the Ranji Trophy is now back among the news briefs. It is unlikely to get more space over the next fortnight if the Men in Blue progress to the business end of the Champions Trophy. However, the semi-finals of India’s premier first-class competition, beginning on Monday (February 17), will unfold in familiar obscurity. That does not mean a drop in seriousness or intensity from the teams involved. The last four feature Kerala alongside Mumbai, Vidarbha, and Gujarat. The southern team has made it this far only once before and is seeking a maiden…

Indians chess players have been making waves in major international outings. The last year was a dream thanks to D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali and the members of the golden Olympiad teams. The new year has started with R Praggnanandhaa clinching the star-studded Tata Steel event in the Netherlands. Did anybody notice? None of the events the Indians excelled at were held in India. The country which hosted the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai is still bereft of an annual competition which attracts top players. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) wants to host two elite events in…

Is freestyle chess the new and coveted format? Not for the first time in the history of the game has this question surfaced. There had been breakaway events not approved by FIDE, the governing body, which drew wide attention. Top names like Garry Kasparov were part of these self-declared world championships. Most such initiatives died down before changing the world order. The freestyle championship in 2025 — to be held over five legs, and the first one of which was played in Weissenhaus in Germany — is different. This year, it started amid confrontational exchanges between the organisers of the…

Chances of chasing down 399 in the fourth innings being slim, Kerala’s best hope in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Jammu & Kashmir was to bat out the last day in Pune. Despite losing two wickets on Day 4 and being reduced to 180/6 with more than 40 overs remaining, Kerala hung on to ensure progress on the basis of the one-run lead secured in the first innings. It was a day of drama and anticipation. There were phases when J&K looked like making it to the semi-finals for the first time. They broke partnerships and dislodged batters who had…

There was a sense of inevitability about it. After Mumbai recovered from 113/7 shortly after lunch on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana and posted 315, it started getting clearer by the minute that they were going to clinch it, even when Haryana were going strong in the initial part of their reply at Eden Gardens. The game reached its logical conclusion in the end. With a thumping 152-run victory, the 42-time champions stormed into the semi-finals and set up a clash against Vidarbha. These two teams met in last season’s final where Mumbai had the last…