Author: Debasis Sen

Former footballers, Dipendu Biswas, Amit Das, Ashim Biswas, Dulal Biswas, who were all part of the Mohun Bagan Messi All Stars squad, stood standstill at the Salt Lake stadium as hundreds of unwanted people surrounded Lionel Messi, while he was acknowledging the fans that turned up for the G.O.A.T tour event in Kolkata, on Saturday. The situation went out of control as the World Cup-winning Argentine captain decided to leave the stadium after just 22 minutes. What led after Messi’s exit was total pandemonium, with the fans throwing water bottles, uprooting the bucket seats and invading the pitch. Satadru Dutta,…

The countdown has begun for the highly awaited Lionel Messi GOAT Tour to India. The Argentina legend and FIFA World Cup winner is set to land in Kolkata in the early hours of 13 December. During his whirlwind three-day trip to India, the Inter Miami captain will also visit Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. Joining Messi on this trip will be Uruguayan star Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, a pivotal member of Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning team. Messi will fly into Kolkata on a chartered aircraft from Dubai. On his arrival at the Kolkata airport, he will be escorted…

Gautam Gambhir’s comment after winning the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa made headlines for the wrong reasons. Without taking the name of an IPL owner, Gambhir took a dig at him for sharing his views on having different coaches for different formats. It is a fact that Gambhir’s record as Head Coach of the Indian Test team is underwhelming. In the last 18 Test matches, the Indian team has won only 7 and lost 9 under Gambhir, giving him a win percentage of 38.89. However, Gambhir’s record as a white-ball coach is extremely impressive. In 23 T20Is, the Indian…

Hardik Pandya, India’s ace all-rounder, once again showcased his all-round skills in the first T20I against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday. Making a comeback from injury, Hardik produced a blistering 59 not out off 28 balls and took the crucial wicket of David Miller, paving the way for a 101-run victory for the home side. With the T20 World Cup to be played in February-March 2026, Hardik’s role in the team is vitally important if India are to defend their title. A fully fit Pandya gives the Indian team management much-needed flexibility. The presence…

Suryakumar Yadav carries an unmistakable air of confidence in every step that he takes, both on and off the field. As the Indian team prepares to face the Proteas in a five-match T20I series in Cuttack, the captain remains unfazed by his recent run of low scores. With the spotlight on Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, who are both returning back in the team after injuries, focus will also be on Suryakumar. It has been 18 T20Is since the current T20I captain of India scored a fifty (75 off 35 against Bangladesh last year) in the shortest ormat. Despite the…

As you step into the Barabati Stadium, the venue for Tuesday’s T20I series opener between India and South Africa, your eyes will inevitably be drawn to the expansive stretches of concrete stands. When modern seating facilities are a norm across most of the cricket stadiums, this venue has invited strong criticism with regard to lack of spectator-friendly experience. Forget about fan experience, the view from the press box with huge pillars in between is horrible, with the sightscreen blocking a sizeable portion of the ground. The murmurs over the stadium not having bucket chairs have been going around for long.…

A few eyebrows were raised when Rajib Banerjee, President of the Howrah and Hooghly Warriors franchise, said their endeavour would be to participate in the I-League and ISL during a jersey launch event in Kolkata on Saturday. It might sound ambitious, but there is genuine potential for regional franchise-based state leagues to thrive. Former Brazilian footballer José Ramirez Barreto, who is also the coach of the Howrah Hooghly Warriors, reckons the BSL will provide the perfect platform for talented footballers from the district. “We have a fantastic group of people. The BSL will provide much-needed exposure and playing time to…

Kolkata giants East Bengal will take on defending champions FC Goa in the Super Cup final on Sunday at the Fatorda Stadium. The Red and Golds registered an emphatic 3-1 win over Punjab FC in the first semi-final, while the home side got the better of Mumbai City 2-1 in the second. For East Bengal, it will be their second final of the season after failing to win the IFA Shield against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan earlier. The team will, however, miss Head Coach Oscar Bruzon on the sidelines after he was shown a red card for dissent towards the match…

The second ODI between India and South Africa in Raipur on Wednesday turned into an unexpectedly poor outing for young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. In perfect batting conditions, Jaiswal managed a sluggish 22 from 38 balls. Even more frustrating was the manner of his dismissal – trying to hook a Marco Jansen bouncer, but beaten for pace, resulting in a simple catch at square leg. The talented youngster now has scores of 15, 18, and 22 in the first three One-Day Internationals of his career. Since making his ODI debut against England in February this year, he has managed just 55…

Is time running out for Akash Deep as far his place in the Indian Test team is concerned? With the Bengal pacer failing to break into the playing XI for the recently-concluded Test series against South Africa, the 28-year-old from Sasaram in Bihar now needs to deliver strong performances in domestic cricket to remain in contention. Akash last featured for India in the red-ball format during the Test series against England in June–July. He was the fourth-highest wicket-taker for India with 13 wickets from the three Tests that he played. Siraj was the highest wicket-taker with 24 wickets, followed by…