Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

As the story goes, the trees surrounding the Moti Bagh ground here in Vadodara are still pockmarked by the hits from Yusuf Pathan as he used to hammer sixes for fun against the hapless bowlers in local matches. Cacophonous protests from the monkeys that made those trees their home used to be the only voices of discontent. Locals who regularly turned up to watch Yusuf bat knew the player was special. Yusuf would end up being a World Cup winner. Moti Bagh, a picturesque venue boasting a superb outfield, was where cricket, local matches and sometimes Ranji Trophy fixtures, used…

Despite the Bangladesh government’s hardline stance, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will keep the communication channels open with the ICC as regards Bangladesh’s matches at the upcoming T20 World Cup. It is learnt that the BCB will send another letter (latest, it has been sent) to the ICC, detailing the cricket board’s position and requesting the game’s governing body to consider the situation. “We don’t know what will happen. It’s very difficult to predict at this moment. The BCB is in the process of sending another letter to the ICC. Things need to be finalised quickly, for we…

Has life changed for Harmanpreet Kaur after winning the World Cup? The Indian women’s team captain is good at keeping her emotions in check, except on special occasions, when she breaks into perfect Bhangra steps. On Wednesday, as Mumbai Indians addressed the media ahead of the upcoming Women’s Premier League, which begins on Friday, their skipper was matter-of-fact as ever. “I have become busier,” Harmanpreet said, revelling in her monosyllabic reply. The immediate challenge will be defending the WPL title. “Whenever I go on the field, I tell my team that I want to win the trophy. This new…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai After going on the warpath, the Bangladesh Cricket Board appears to be on a conciliatory path. This follows the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) response to the BCB’s letter that demanded Bangladesh’s matches in the upcoming T20 World Cup to be moved out from India due to “security” reasons. The BCB issued a press release, on Wednesday, on the heels of their online meeting with the ICC. “The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Board’s expressed concerns over the safety and security of the Bangladesh National Cricket Team in…

Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Himachal Pradesh in Jaipur on Tuesday had no shortage of stardust. With Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan in action, domestic cricket feels vibrant again, aided by the BCCI’s directive mandating the participation of international players. All eyes, however, were on Shreyas, who returned to competitive cricket after recovering from an internal injury sustained in Australia last October. Leading Mumbai, he top-scored with a fluent 82 off 53 balls. Dense fog delayed the start at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground, eventually reducing the contest to 33 overs per side. Asked…

On the face of it, Bangladesh’s decision to ban IPL telecast indefinitely in the country is political posturing. It, however, will not affect the tournament or the BCCI, revenue-wise. Market experts believe that even short-term, losing Bangladesh on the broadcast will not dent IPL’s business The Bangladesh government and their cricket board have been in retaliatory mode following Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to release seamer Mustafizur Rahman after the BCCI directive. “I don’t see this move, banning IPL broadcasts in Bangladesh, having a big impact,” Santosh N, managing partner at D&P Advisory Services, a valuation service provider, was quoted as…

Shreyas Iyer has been cleared to return to competitive cricket by the BCCI’s medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and will lead Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand. “The Mumbai Cricket Association is pleased to announce that Shreyas Iyer has been appointed captain of the Mumbai senior men’s team for the remaining league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” the MCA said in a press release. Iyer will take over from Shardul Thakur, who sustained a calf injury during Mumbai’s previous match against Maharashtra. “Shreyas Iyer will assume…

On Saturday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was in Jaipur, watching the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Mumbai and Maharashtra. He had his former India teammate and now co-selector RP Singh for company. Agarkar was looking relaxed. The Indian squad selection for the upcoming three ODIs against New Zealand was never going to be stressful. The meeting happened online. There was a debate on whether Ishan Kishan should be brought back to the ODI fold as well, on the heels of his T20I comeback. The Jharkhand captain started off this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy with a blazing hundred against Karnataka, didn’t…

Beyond the Ro-Ko mania, the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand offers very little in terms of preparations for the 2027 World Cup. The shortest format is the flavour of the season, with the T20 World Cup a little over a month away. From the perspective of the fans, however, it’s about getting entertained, and India boast the game’s two biggest entertainers in the 50-over format — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The first game is in Vadodara on January 11. It’s already sold out. Two-thirds of India’s ODI squad picks itself. This time, however, the selectors face a…

With Manchester United chasing the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford and 15 minutes to go, Ruben Amorim, the manager, replaced the lively Ayden Heaven, a centre-half, with Leny Yoro — a like-for-like. Yes, Amorim was seriously stretched with his attacking options, with several first-team players missing due to injuries and AFCON, but Shea Lacey and Chido Obi, the two young attackers, were still on the bench. Amorim’s in-game management could be a case study, how it defies logic. Worse, he started with a back-five — three centre-halves — against Wolves, unarguably the worst-ever Premier League side, who so…