Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai “It’s a huge, huge honour for me,” said Dilip Vengsarkar, reacting to the Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) decision to install a life-size statue of him at Wankhede Stadium. After Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, he would be the third cricketer to have a statue at the hallowed venue. “Wankhede is where I played all my cricket — Test matches, ODIs, World Cup…” the former India captain told RevSportz. “For Mumbai also, winning those trophies. In fact, all the matches (that I have played for Mumbai). And I must thank the MCA, because the parent body has always…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to install a life-size statue of former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar at Wankhede Stadium “in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian and Mumbai cricket”. The MCA Apex Council unanimously approved this at its meeting on Wednesday. Vengsarkar played 116 Tests, scoring 6,868 runs, including 17 hundreds. The only overseas batter to score three consecutive centuries at Lord’s, he earned the sobriquet, ‘Lord of Lord’s’. He was also part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad. He later served as the chairman of the national selection committee. “Honouring Dilip Vengsarkar with…

 Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Rohit Sharma looked fitter, leaner and dapper at the CEAT Awards on Tuesday. In the evening, he was suited and booted. A few hours previously, from mid-morning to early afternoon, he was in his training kit, sweating it out at a private facility. The former India captain hit the nets at Reliance Corporate Park in Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, yesterday and from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm, he trained hard, it is learnt. Around eight to 10 bowlers were present to bowl at the nets. Rohit himself arranged for them through the coaches from different clubs in…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Before the start of the third day’s play of the first Test between India and West Indies in Ahmedabad, the conversation between a group of journalists covering the game was about whether the time has finally come to introduce a two-tier Test system. Sport can never be a survival of the fittest, but at the same time, you can’t ignore the commercial aspects. The opinions were divided before a friend and a former colleague came up with the punchline — this is not what we play the sport for. The first Test was over inside three days,…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad Early into the second session on Day 3, which turned out to be the final day of the first Test between India and the West Indies, the discussion at the Ahmedabad press box was about Rohit Sharma. The visitors had waved the white flag and the hosts were on the cusp of securing a resounding win. By then, it had become a poorly-kept secret that Rohit would lose his ODI captaincy, with Shubman Gill replacing him. About an-hour-and-a-half later, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed it at the team selection press conference for the upcoming white-ball tour…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad Rohit Sharma has been removed as India’s ODI captain. Make no mistake, it’s a call taken by the selectors. As RevSportz reported, Shubman Gill has replaced him as ODI skipper. Rohit, along with Virat Kohli, is part of the 15-member Indian squad that will tour Australia for three 50-over internationals, starting on October 19. A five-match T20I series will follow, but Rohit and Virat have already hung up their shortest format boots. At the team selection press conference here in Ahmedabad on Saturday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said he had a conversation with Rohit before taking…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad Day 3 of the first Test between India and the West Indies here in Ahmedabad started with three possibilities. India were on 448/5 overnight, and the first possibility was to declare on that score. The second option was to bat until lunch, for that would have given the likes of Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy some batting time out there in the middle. The third choice was not to declare at all. The hosts chose the first option, ostensibly to make use of the early morning moisture. The pitch already had a few spots…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad Who will lead India in the three-match ODI series in Australia? As things stand, it might not be an open-and-shut case, and there appears to be a couple of possibilities. The team selection is likely on Saturday. Possibility 1: Rohit Sharma to stay as captain. The incumbent ODI skipper has huge credit in the bank. In March this year, he led India to the Champions Trophy triumph, playing a match-winning innings in the final against New Zealand. Then again, the selectors are thinking about the next World Cup and Rohit would be 40 years old…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad After reaching his half-century against the West Indies in Ahmedabad on Friday, Dhruv Jurel ‘saluted’ his father. After scoring his maiden Test hundred, the wicketkeeper-batsman dedicated the feat to the Indian Army. India finished Day 2 of the first Test on 448/5, with Jurel’s contribution being 125 off 210 balls. At the press conference after the day’s play, Jurel spoke about how he has been inspired by the Indian Army. “The salute (celebration) after reaching my fifty was for my father, but for the hundred, it was something that I had it in my mind for…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad KL Rahul broke his home century drought after more than 3,000 days. But as Day 2 of the second Test between India and the West Indies meandered along and dusk fell, Dhruv Jurel was resplendent in his maiden Test hundred. His previous best was 90 against England in Ranchi last year. Not many cricketers come Test-ready. It is the toughest format of the game and a majority of the players take time to get into the groove. Jurel has taken to the format like a duck to water. In any other team, he would have been…