Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty, Vadodara About a month-and-a-half ago, as Virat Kohli returned to play international cricket in India after a substantial gap, he was under pressure. An unbeaten half-century and a match-winning partnership with Rohit Sharma in the final ODI against Australia in Sydney had given the two senior citizens of the team some breathing space, but doubts remained. Can they go on until the 2027 World Cup? Can Rohit and Kohli, who now play in only one format, have a second wind? Rohit had changed his approach in white-ball cricket a couple of years ago, at the…

There’s a big question mark over Washington Sundar’s participation in the remaining two matches of the series after he suffered a side strain during the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday. At the post-match press conference, Harshit Rana confirmed the injury, saying: “Washington Sundar has a side strain. He was in pain while batting. Our medical team will assess and will update.” Washington came out to bat at No. 8 after Harshit and was visibly struggling to run between the wickets. Rishabh Pant has already been ruled out of the series due to an injury,…

By now, Harshit Rana has gotten used to the trolls on social media, a medium that gives poison a platform. A couple of months ago, during the home series against South Africa, the 24-year-old had spoken about developing a nice habit of ignoring the abuse. “If I keep thinking about that, I won’t be able to play,” he had said. This Indian team is good at shutting out the outside noise. It kept backing the youngster, believing that at the moment he is the team’s best bet to fill in the bowling all-rounder’s slot at No. 8 in white-ball cricket.…

Being at the right headspace is a big part of Virat Kohli’s preparation. By his own admission, at this stage of his career, Kohli’s cricket is “all mental”. Of late, he has been in a happy space, batting with a smile. The freedom and ease have been making his batting wonderfully easy on the eye. On Sunday, against New Zealand in Vadodara, the master batsman completed 28,000 international runs and went on to score 93 off 91 balls. All the while, it felt like a glorified nets session. The first 20 balls he faced, Kohli hit six fours. He toyed…

Beyond India and New Zealand, who are playing the first ODI of a three-match series here in Vadodara, the game also categorically proved that the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s security concerns as regards sending their team for the T20 World Cup are unfounded. Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula is the TV umpire in this game, an ICC appointee, and he has been doing his job unfettered, without any trouble. The on-field umpires are Richard Illingworth from England and KN Ananthapadmanabhan from India. When the BCB sent its first letter to the ICC, in the wake of Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the IPL, it urged…

Rishabh Pant is ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that starts here in Vadodara on Sunday. There’s no official confirmation from the Indian team or the BCCI yet, as they prefer to wait. But according to sources, wicketkeeper-batsman has sustained a muscle tear and will be out. Pant was hit just below the ribs while taking throwdowns at the nets during India’s optional practice session at the BCA Stadium on Saturday. Before that, he looked to be in great touch, striking the ball well. RevSportz was the first to report the incident, along with the picture.…

On the face of it, the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that starts here in Vadodara on Sunday doesn’t have much relevance. T20 cricket is the flavour of the month with a World Cup around the corner and the next 50-over showpiece is almost two years away. It’s not that the teams are taking the series lightly. Professional athletes don’t do that. Even during India’s optional training session on the match eve, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj were present. Pant played an audacious reverse-pull at the nets before being…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Vadodara Shubman Gill carries himself impeccably at press conferences. It was his first presser after the T20 World Cup snub. Fresh faced as ever, the 26-year-old oozed class. “I respect the selectors’ decision to give me the position here,” said India’s ODI skipper ahead of the three-match series against New Zealand that starts here in Vadodara on Sunday. “I am wishing the T20 team all the very best and I really hope that they win the World Cup for us. I believe that I am right where I am in my life. I think that no one can…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Vadodara In the absence of “valid security reasons” the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is struggling to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) that a relocation of Bangladesh’s matches at the upcoming T20 World Cup is necessary, RevSportz understands. There’s a feeling that the BCB’s letter to the ICC, asking that the Bangladesh’s matches be moved out of India due to “security reasons”, in the wake of seamer Mustafizur Rahman’s removal from the IPL was knee-jerk and didn’t follow the due process. “To demand relocation, you have to provide valid security reasons,” a source in the know told RevSportz.…

Around this time last year, after the disaster Down Under, almost everyone was howling for the heads of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Resetting the dressing-room culture became fashionable. Rohit and Kohli’s red-ball form was undeniably unpleasant on the eye and eventually they hung up their Test boots. It felt like Indian cricket was ready to move on from the two superstars. Shubman Gill, the ‘prince’, had his coronation before the England tour last summer. What a difference a few months can make! India went to Australia for a three-match ODI series in October with Rohit stripped of his captaincy…