Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

A glut of outlandish batting performances in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is threatening to change T20 benchmarks. Teams have gone past the previous highest total of 263 four times. There have been 35 tallies in excess of 200 in 58 matches and eight above 250. Hundred for no loss in six overs is no longer imaginary. Strikes rates of 200 have ceased to thrill. Will it be similar at the ICC T20 World Cup? In the USA, to be specific? The teams have an idea what to expect in the West Indies. Little is known…

Indian chess remains a newsmaker. Close on the heels of D Gukesh’s historic triumph at the Candidates tournament, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) has announced an elaborate ‘action plan’. It has a budget of Rs 65 crore for three years for various development schemes and projects. Volume of money is the first highlight of this ambitious plan. It covers a range of things including substantial annual contracts for the top 10 men’s and women’s players, a national ranking system, stipends for the top three boys and girls in seven junior categories, grants for 32 state associations, a high-level annual…

The first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Guwahati will be played on May 15. This gentleman will not go the stadium to watch. He is interested in cricket and has played for his state. Still, he won’t be among the thousands set to pack the stands. Parag Das prefers being in front of the TV. The former opener says the multiple angles and replays help him pick details he would miss from the gallery. He has to watch things minutely, so that he can explain them better, while analysing the game with his son Riyan Parag, the Rajasthan Royals…

If things go as scheduled, D Gukesh will lock horns with Ding Liren before their World Chess Championship final, at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, USA, from August 18-29. It will be the only meeting between the challenger and the Chinese world champion before the final in November. Sinquefield Cup is the concluding leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) comprising five events. It is the only event with a separate classical section along with rapid and blitz. The rest are either classical or rapid and blitz. Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa are among the nine players taking part in…

The team owners were seen smiling and the franchise’s iconic face was in the dugout. These happy snapshots did not go with the performance of Mumbai Indians. Officially out of playoff contention, this is the third time in four years that they have finished outside the playoff bracket after winning a fifth title in 2020. The most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise – jointly with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – MI looked like building their own legacy. They were doing it in style. Coming back from a chain of losses, holding nerves in a low-scoring final (2017), unearthing uncapped…

Kuldeep Yadav scoring some runs off Mitchell Starc en route his 26-ball unbeaten 35 for Delhi Capitals against Kolkata Knight Riders should be good news for India fans. Going into the ICC T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue will welcome runs from their specialist bowlers. That’s because chances are high that after No. 7, this team will not have players who can be relied upon to score brisk runs. The only way to avoid this is to have all three — Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel in the XI. If one of the last two is benched,…

“I learnt a lot from the World Cup in India. I realised the significance of playing a World Cup and it’s always a dream to represent India in the World Cup. But if I don’t make the grade this time, I can only say that I will cheer for the players and wish them luck.” This was Shubman Gill a few days before the team selection on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. The timing and tenor of the statement suggests he might have already seen the writing on the wall. Brightest youngster on the horizon, potential flag-bearer of Virat Kohli’s legacy and…

It’s over, but not over yet. Although the winners have been identified and rewarded, there could be another victor, because one part of the competition is still not completed. Followers of the Indian Super League (ISL) are familiar with this complicated scenario. The country’s premier football competition has a first prize for the toppers of the league phase, which is the ISL Shield. The winners of the knockout phase, involving the top six teams on the league table, get the ISL trophy. This is how it has been the last few years. Nothing new about it. New this season and…

Sometimes, a step back can be a step in the right direction. Apparently following a principle of looking at new faces, the national selection committee will find it difficult to ignore an old one, when they pick the squad for the T20 World Cup. The familiar face of Yuzvendra Chahal will smile at them when they zero in on the spinners. Out of national reckoning since August 2023, Chahal has come back strong in IPL 2024 and stood tall amid the carnage bowlers have been subjected to. In the deluge of 200-plus totals and batting milestones, the leg-spinner has done…

The one who used to be an automatic choice might become a subject of deliberation, when the national selectors pick the squad for the T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya was indispensable and the captain in this format when he last played for India. Eight months on and recent performance not up to the mark, reputation is his biggest USP before the marquee biennial. Returning to mainstream action after sustaining an injury in the 50-over World Cup last October, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the stage for Pandya to dispel doubts. The Mumbai Indians skipper has flattered to deceive so…