Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Sachin Tendulkar was nearing his hundred, but had run out of partners. Well, almost. It was an Irani Trophy match, very important for a young Tendulkar in the context of him getting into the Indian team. In the dressing room, Gursharan Singh was nursing an injury, not quite in a position to go out to bat. But Raj Singh Dungarpur, then chief selector, implored him to go out there and help Tendulkar complete his century. “Gursharan came and gave me company, and I completed my hundred,” said Tendulkar at the unveiling of Ageas Federal Life Insurance’s new brand identity. “I was…

Ajinkya Naik, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president, channelled his inner Sunil Gavaskar. The deadpan defence, bat and pad close together, and no room for the bowler to make one sneak through the gate, was technically perfect, in this case politically correct. The question to him during a one-on-one interview with RevSportz was about Rohit Sharma, whether the 38-year-old superstar has informed the MCA about his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. Naik remained coy. “At the moment, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) is going on and we have qualified (for the Super League stage),” Naik told RevSportz.…

Yashasvi Jaiswal will join the Mumbai squad for the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), a top Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official has confirmed. Rohit Sharma, who is retired from T20Is, is unlikely to feature in the domestic T20 tournament, although he is all but certain to turn up for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting on December 24. “Yashasvi has confirmed his participation for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” the official told RevSportz, adding: “We haven’t heard anything from Rohit yet.” Jaiswal, fresh from his maiden ODI century against South Africa in Vizag on Saturday, is not in the Indian…

In Raipur, during the second ODI between India and South Africa, a BCCI official dropped in at the press box for an informal meet-and-greet with the media. The news of Virat Kohli playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season had emerged only the evening before. So, on the sidelines, this correspondent asked him if the BCCI had nudged Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play domestic cricket. The official shook his head. “They have decided, it’s their decision,” he said. The BCCI knows the value of the two greats and trusts their judgement. Also, contrary to the common perception that makes…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai For a moment, rewind to the India versus Australia semi-final in the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year. India chased down a victory target of 265 in 48.1 overs, with Virat Kohli anchoring the innings via a 98-ball 84. The remarkable part of his innings was that he took 56 singles. Kohli has a healthy lead at the top for taking most singles in ODIs. According to the stats put out by different platforms, his singles count in that format had reached 5,870 after that game, way above Kumar Sangakkara’s 5,688, who stays a distant second.…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Before the start of the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, the Indian team management’s message to the players was about stability. The idea was to play a set combination for all the three matches without any unnecessary tinkering. For example, Ruturaj Gaikwad, an opener, was told that he would be the No. 4 here for the entire series. After scoring his maiden ODI hundred in Raipur, Gaikwad spoke about how the team management’s confidence in him helped his game. Similarly, Washington Sundar was slotted at No. 5 with a rider that KL Rahul, the stand-in captain…

KL Rahul wasn’t so generous in his praise for South Africa’s batsmen. Ruturaj Gaikwad lavished praise on Aiden Markram & Co. The common thread that connected India’s stand-in captain and the team’s No. 4 batsman after the defeat in the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday was dew. “Not really a (tough one) given how much dew there is and how difficult it is to bowl in the second innings,” Rahul told the host broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “Thought we did well in the last game. Today, the umpires were nice to change the ball. Toss plays a big…

Is the current team management, where Gautam Gambhir is the head coach, a victim of perception? Take the case of Ruturaj Gaikwad, an opener, who is batting at No. 4 in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa. The demotion didn’t go down well with a section of the critics who questioned the decision. Gaikwad was picked for the series as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer, India’s ODI vice-captain and the team’s designated No. 4 in this format. Yashasvi Jaiswal was already part of the set-up as the reserve opener and it was natural that he would pair up with…

Gradually, it came down to 48 off 42 balls. With six wickets in hand, the game was sitting in South Africa’s dug-out. A classy hundred from Aiden Markram and a Dewald Brevis blitzkrieg had all but pulled off a memorable run chase for the Proteas. But Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen got out in quick succession and India hoped. Tony de Zorzi jarred his hamstring while taking a second run and although the equation still favoured the tourists – 27 required off 30 balls – a tail-ender, Keshav Maharaj, was at the crease to accompany Corbin Bosch. South Africa went…

It’s official now. Shubman Gill is back in the Indian T20I squad as vice-captain. The team selection took place here in Raipur on Wednesday, and Gill has been included on the condition that he passes the fitness test. RevSportz reported it early this afternoon. The official announcement came in the evening. “Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI CoE,” said the BCCI press release. As this website also reported, Hardik Pandya, too, is back in the fold. The all-rounder missed the Australia tour and the ongoing three-match ODI series against South Africa. His return is a real positive for the team…