Author: Debasis Sen

All eyes on Sunday will be on the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final, as India, five-times champions, take on Australia. Uday Saharan’s side are one victory away from emulating the U-19 World Cup-winning teams of Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, and Yash Dhull. Both sides will go into the final after thrilling wins in the semi-final. The India colts have made it to the final on nine occasions, winning five times. Shreevats Goswami, a integral part of the 2008 triumph, wanted the current lot to enjoy the moment and not take too much pressure thinking…

Dubbed a ‘sleeping giant’, India’s football team face high expectations as they kickstart their AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign against mighty Australia in Qatar on Saturday. Currently ranked 102nd in the FIFA rankings, the Blue Tigers are placed in Group B alongside Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. This will be India’s fifth participation in the continental showpiece, with previous appearances having been in 1964, 1984, 2011 and 2019. India’s best performance till date was finishing runners-up in 1964. Sukumar Samajpati, a member of that 1964 side, heaped praise on Sunil Chhetri. Samajpati, now 84, scored against Hong Kong in India’s final…

Fanie de Villiers, the former South African pacer, was quite impressed with the discipline shown by the Indian fast bowling unit during the recently concluded World Cup. According to him, the current form of Bumrah and company would give an edge to the visitors during the upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas, which gets underway at Centurion from December 26. In this exclusive chat, de Villiers shared his thoughts on India’s chances in the series, the key for pacers to get success in South Africa, why Bumrah can make a difference, the current crop of Proteas fast bowlers, the…

File photo of the ICC Trophy (Source: X) Revsportz Exclusive India-Pakistan World T20 Clash in New York could be day game to suit sub-continent TV times Debasis Sen In what could be a major push to cricket in the US, sources confirm that India are likely to play all or most of their matches in the forthcoming World T20 in the US. India vs Pakistan, always the marquee clash, is to be played in New York on June 8 (Saturday) or 9 (Sunday), 2024. While the plan was to have it on June 9, the time difference…

It was the morning of November 10, 2021, a couple of days after India’s cricket team played their final group match against Namibia at the ICC T20 World Cup in Dubai. Virat Kohli and his boys were already out of the tournament, having lost to arch-rivals Pakistan and New Zealand in the first two matches. I got a call from Boria da that he would be coming to the place where I was staying in Sports City to pick me up and take me somewhere. On the way, I was told that we were heading to the Indian team hotel…

Glenn Maxwell’s scintillating knock of 201* in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 game against Afghanistan at Wankhede stadium has been hailed as one of the greatest ODI knocks in history. Chasing 292 for victory, Australia had slumped to 7-91 in the 19th over, with their hopes of a World Cup semi-final berth in some jeopardy. Maxwell had other ideas though, as he displayed remarkable courage and character to take Australia home. He was unable to run properly between the wickets because of back spasms and full-body cramps, but he finished undefeated on 201 off 128 deliveries, confirming victory with…

Raja Venkat, the former Bengal batter who was part of the selection panel for the men’s national team between 2008 and 2012, dropped a bombshell, when he told RevSportz that Rohit Sharma was not picked for 2011 World Cup squad because MS Dhoni, the captain, wanted Piyush Chawla in the side. Venkat, now settled in Coonoor, opened up about how the Krishnamachari Srikkanth-led selection panel had unanimously picked Rohit – a regular in the ODI side over the previous three years – only for the captain to veto the choice. Chawla ended up playing just three matches in the competition,…

On a momentous day during the ongoing fifth test of the Ashes 2023 series, English fast bowler Stuart Broad announced his retirement from the game, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that includes over 600 test wickets, 178 ODI wickets, and 65 T20 wickets. Little did he know that, some 4000 miles away in Barbados, at a different ‘Oval’, the greatest ever player to have played the sport, Sir Garfield Sobers, would have some heartfelt words for him. As the second ODI between West Indies and India unfolded in Barbados, RevSportz correspondent Debasis Sen seized a unique opportunity to…

Joshua Da Silva’s mother Caroline Da Silva and father Michael Da Silva are overwhelmed after meeting Virat Kohli and have said that their life’s ambition is for their son to play for RCB, a team for which Virat plays. “It will be the insane dream moment for us” said the couple and went on to add “We will be in India to witness that moment if it ever comes true.” The couple said that they still couldn’t believe how it all happened and that every sportsperson should learn the humility of Virat Kohli. “He has achieved so much and yet…

Dilip Vengsarkar, former India captain who was also chairman of the selection committee, feels that giving opportunities to the right players at the correct times will be key for the Indian cricket team to do well in future. In an exclusive chat with RevSportz, Vengsarkar indirectly criticised the current selectors for appearing to lack that vision. “Cricket, we all know, is a very popular sport in India, and we have so many players right from different age levels to first-class cricket,” said Vengsarkar. “The most important thing I feel is that you must spot the talent and groom them at…