Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

R Praggnanandhaa was the joint leader with Nodirbek Abtusattaorov after the third round of the Tata Steel chess tournament being played in Wijk Aan Zee in the Netherlands. The Indian and the player from Uzbekistan were on 2.5 points each, following two wins and a draw. World champion D Gukesh was in a pack of three players following the leaders on two points each. Pragg, as he is known in the circuit, had drawn with Abtusattaorov in the first round. After that, he won against fellow Indians Pentala Harikrishna and Arjun Erigaisi in the subsequent games. Fifth in terms of…

There is clamour in certain quarters over the exclusion of Sanju Samson from the Indian squad for the England ODI series and Champions Trophy. The dashing wicketkeeper-batter has been making waves in the T20 format and he also has an average of 56-plus from 16 ODIs. He is in form too, having cracked two T20I centuries in South Africa late last year. The Indian squad announced yesterday has two wicketkeepers — KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. If Samson were to find a place, it would have to be at the expense of one of them. Looking at Rahul’s experience, ability…

The Tata Steel chess tournament starting in Wijk Aan Zee in the Netherlands today will be a new beginning for D Gukesh. This top-tier event featuring 14 players will be his first outing after winning the World Championship in Singapore just over a month ago. This is also the start of a period when he will be under pressure to deliver, and his moves on and off the board will be closely followed. It’s said that in sports, defending the crown is more difficult than winning it. The Tata Steel event is not the equivalent of the World Championship, of…

India’s pace bowling stocks are not as strong as they used to be. Despite Jasprit Bumrah and what he can do. Mohammed Shami isn’t expected to last much longer. Bumrah, too, has fitness issues and there is no guarantee that he will deliver in every major outing. The next crop has promise, but all of them are works in progress. Under the circumstances, and looking ahead to India’s next Test assignment in England, it’s important to take a look at the options. Yes, that series is about five months away and coming soon is the Champions Trophy. What if the…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay Domestic cricket has suddenly become a buzzword of sorts. Usually, just a handful keeps track of what plays out over there. Only those who bat, bowl, field, officiate, take care of logistics and report on those are aware of these proceedings. But, with the BCCI and the Indian team management emphasising the sacro-sanctity of these fixtures of late, perceptions have changed to an extent. These games are played aeons from the spotlight. Even if an India star makes a stray appearance, the crowd by and large stays away from the action. Hardly anybody knows that a match about…

‘Intent’ used to be the most mentioned word in Indian cricket not long ago. It was spoken of frequently in press conferences. It seemed that the team was using it to convey that they would play an aggressive brand of cricket and be prepared to take risks. The attitude paid dividends. Although not relying on it completely all the time, India came close to winning the World Test Championship. As fortunes take a dip, in a phase of transition under a new coaching team, amid uncertainty over the red-ball future of some stalwarts, the word intent is not heard that…

Ten Test matches in five months. Lost six, drew one and won three, including two against Bangladesh at home. There were T20I series wins against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and an ODI defeat against the latter. There’s a sharp decline in the longest format — highlighted by the first-ever home whitewash against New Zealand — which resulted in a failure to make it to the World Test Championship final despite being in a strong position. The waning powers of Virat Kohli, uncertainty over Rohit Sharma’s red-ball future, Ravichandran Ashwin’s shocker of an announcement to quit midway through the Australia series…

R Vaishali tried her best but came up second best in the semi-finals of the World Blitz Chess Championship against eventual winner Ju Wenjun of China. The Indian youngster was rewarded for her efforts in New York with a bronze medal nonetheless and her podium finish capped a phenomenal year for Indian chess players. In an unusual scenario in the open section, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi shared the title. Carlsen won the first two games in the final and looked like running away with the title before Nepomniachtchi won the last two games to draw level.…

R Vaishali was the lone Indian left in contention after the first day of the World Blitz Chess Championship held in New York. The player from Chennai finished on top in the women’s section after 11 rounds. The final day will see the top eight fight it out in a knockout format. Vaishali will face Zhu Jiner of China in her quarterfinal. The Indian contingent failed to make a mark in the open section. Forget the top eight, there were none of them even in the first 20 after 13 rounds. R Praggnanandhaa was 23rd with 8.5 points. That was…

Koneru Humpy ensured that Indian chess players ended the year on a high by winning the world rapid championship in New York, even as Arjun Erigaisi’s chances of qualifying for the Candidates through the FIDE Circuit ended following a disappointing final day. It was Humpy’s second world rapid title after 2019. She finished runner-up in 2023. Humpy won the event, dubbed the Wall Street Gambit in dramatic fashion, by clinching the 11th and last round game. Seven players, including Humpy and India’s Dronavalli Harika, were tied on 7.5 points heading into the final game. While the other six played out…