Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Rohit Sharma is willing to play the unofficial ODI series between India A and Australia A in September-October as part of his preparations for the Australia tour, RevSportz understands. India’s ODI captain hasn’t played international cricket since the Champions Trophy in March, a tournament that India won. He hasn’t played any cricket after the IPL. India will tour Australia for a white-ball series in October-November; three ODIs and five T20Is are part of the roster. The ODIs would be played in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney on October 19, 23 and 25. There’s a feeling in the Mumbai…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Some years ago, in 2018-19, when Ajit Agarkar was the Mumbai chief selector, he reportedly had a fallout with Shreyas Iyer. As the story goes, the latter was feeling tired after a long flight from New Zealand where he went for an India A team tour. Shreyas decided to opt out of Mumbai’s next match against Chhattisgarh that was starting in three days. He had a valid reason for his case to be considered, but the message, according to someone in the know, was communicated to Agarkar differently by a then Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official. Agarkar…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Over the last three days, Mumbai has received 500mm of rain. Normal life has been severely disrupted in India’s commercial capital. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a “red alert”, and educational institutions have been declared closed. The state government, too, declared a holiday on Tuesday and asked people to stay indoors. Credit to the BCCI for going ahead with the Asia Cup team selection and having a press conference that was addressed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav. The selection meeting, originally scheduled at 12 noon, started a couple of hours late,…

Mumbai, August 19: Shubman Gill, who last played a T20I for India in July 2024, was the most noteworthy inclusion in the 15-man squad chosen for the Asia Cup, which will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between September 9 and 29. Gill was also named as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy, as the selectors and team management otherwise kept faith in the core group that had won 12 of the last 15 matches in the format. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer were among the prominent names to miss out. Jaiswal has been named as one of the five standbys,…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a “red alert” for rain in Mumbai and its suburbs. It’s been pouring almost non-stop for the last 36 hours and the forecast for the next two days is heavy to very heavy rainfall. Bad weather might upset the Asia Cup selection plans, which is scheduled on Tuesday. With uncertainty over flights, there’s even an outside chance that the selectors might meet virtually to finalise a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup, according to a BCCI insider. A post-selection press conference is unlikely as of now, although the cricket…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai Sunil Gavaskar’s statue will be unveiled at Wankhede Stadium on August 23, the day the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will inaugurate its museum, which is named after Sharad Pawar. The statue of the former MCA, BCCI and ICC president, too, will be unveiled. For the visitors, turning up at the museum will come with the added incentive of a Wankhede stadium tour. The MCA hasn’t decided on the ticket prices yet, but it would be kept between Rs 200 and Rs 500. The association has already received memorabilia from 28 cricketers. Gavaskar, too, will…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai Once upon a time, when cricket wasn’t unencumbered by PR machinery and social media wheeze, utility cricketers used to get recognition from the common viewers and connoisseurs alike for adding meat and steel to the team. Times have changed and the number of followers on social media is now used as a reference point to judge a player’s value, and stardom. The perception has changed, but the game hasn’t, in terms of retaining its basics. In the dressing room, the players for all seasons are loved and respected. No wonder that Axar Patel is rated highly…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) wants to groom Ayush Mhatre as captain, which is why he has been chosen to lead the 17-member Mumbai squad for the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament. The Sanjay Patil-led selection committee focused on youth in the team selection. And yet, Mhatre being named captain is interesting, given that the squad also includes Sarfaraz Khan and senior player Hardik Tamore. Mhatre is just 18 years old, and this is the most high-profile side in Indian domestic cricket, with 42 Ranji Trophy titles. “We want to groom Mhatre as captain,” a top MCA…

Shamik Chakrabarty The list of Bengal probables, put out by the CAB for the 2025-26 season, had Mohammed Shami’s name at the top. Bengal have started their pre-season in earnest, but the fast bowler is yet to check in. Where is he? “I think Shami is at the NCA (Centre of Excellence) and will directly join the East Zone squad in Bangalore for the Duleep Trophy,” Saurasish Lahiri, the Bengal senior team’s assistant coach, said during a conversation with this correspondent. How is his body, which the BCCI’s medical team believed wouldn’t be able to take the workload of a…

Shamik Chakrabarty September 2024, and India were playing against Bangladesh at Chepauk. It was India’s first Test under Gautam Gambhir as the head coach. Ravichandran Ashwin, along with Ravindra Jadeja, was in the middle of a rescue act from 144/6. Ashwin would go on to score a match-winning hundred, but the conversation in the press box between this correspondent and a senior cricket reporter of a national daily, a long-time friend, was about the veteran off-spinner’s future. “The day Washington Sundar would start turning the ball, he would be in the side,” my friend and colleague had suggested. Eventually, we…