Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai A video of Rohit Sharma visiting a Ganpati Puja in Mumbai and going down on his knees to take the blessings of Lord Ganesha expectedly went viral on social media. The fans chanted, “Mumbaicha Raja, Rohit Sharma”. India’s ODI captain looked embarrassed, waved at the fans and asked them not to put him on a pedestal in front of someone who is way more powerful. Sportspersons, the majority of them, are a superstitious lot. Rohit, at this stage of his career, when his international future beyond the ODI series in Australia in October is looking uncertain,…

Pravin Amre For us, we were really fortunate to have a coach like Achrekar Sir (Ramakant Achrekar). He was a guru. The definition of guru is like he destroys the darkness. And I think that is what he did for all of us, his students. We played for the country. People think about him as Sachin’s (Tendulkar) coach. He produced 10-11 Test cricketers – Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Sachin, Vinod Kambli, me… The list goes on. He also produced around 40 Ranji. Trophy players. But the beauty of Achrekar Sir was that he was everyone’s…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Chennai Super Kings expect MS Dhoni to play the IPL for at least one more season, it is learnt. This follows N Srinivasan’s return as CSK’s chairman. RevSportz broke the story this morning. The former BCCI and ICC president will once again helm the cricket affairs of the franchise and there’s an expectation within CSK that it will see one more season of Dhoni as a player, given the relationship between the two. All said and done, though, Dhoni has a mind of his own and he is expected to take a call closer to the next…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai The BCCI has invited tenders for Team India’s lead sponsor and the list of don’ts is long. The prohibited brand categories are: “i) Ww Alcohol Products; (ii) Betting or Gambling Services; (iii) Cryptocurrency; (iv) Online Money Gaming or any such activities prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025; (v) Tobacco; and (vi) one which is likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography.” The “Expression of Interest” for lead sponsorship has been called for in the wake of Dream11’s departure. The fantasy sports platform that had a Rs…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Sanju Samson might lose Rajasthan Royals captaincy irrespective of his future with the franchise, it is learnt. This follows Rahul Dravid’s departure as Royals head coach. The legendary former India captain and coach leaving the franchise was not a case of player power holding sway. It was more of a difference of opinion between him and the Royals management over certain cricketing decisions. As per the press release issued by the franchise, Dravid was offered a different, “broader” role during the post-season review, which he refused. Dravid’s departure, however, doesn’t make the case stronger for Samson, the…

Around 2 pm at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Banglore, journalists covering the ongoing Duleep Trophy were asked to vacate the ground, as the fitness tests of the India players were about to commence at an adjoining arena. This is according to a senior reporter of a national daily covering the tournament. By evening, social media was abuzz with the news of Rohit Sharma, India’s ODI captain, acing the tests. Some even went to the extent of putting up his Yo-Yo Test score — 19.4. As weird as it gets, for as per the BCCI protocol, fitness…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai For Naushad Khan, Sarfaraz’s father, charity began at home. About a month ago, pictures of the cricketer’s stunning body transformation popped up on social media and expectedly made the headlines. More than anything else, dietary discipline helped him shed more than 17 kilos. But in his family, he wasn’t a case in isolation. His father, and coach, led by example. “I have shed 30 kilos,” Naushad said, speaking to RevSportz. “I was 122 kg earlier, now I’m 92. “All of us, Sarfaraz, Musheer and I, have benefited from following a strict dietary schedule.” Safaraz didn’t hire a…

Rajasthan Royals have parted ways with Rahul Dravid. The legendary batsman and the former India coach, who returned to the Royals fold last season as head coach, is leaving by mutual consent. “Rajasthan Royals today announced that Head Coach Rahul Dravid will conclude his tenure with the franchise ahead of IPL 2026,” stated a Royals press release. It added: “Rahul has been central to the Royals’ journey over many years. His leadership has influenced a generation of players, built strong values within the squad, and left an indelible mark on the culture of the franchise.” The Royals management didn’t completely…

The pre-season fitness test for India players is set to begin at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), and the newly introduced rugby-centric Bronco Test is going to push the cricketers to the limit. RevSportz reported earlier about the pre-season fitness test, with all the contracted players, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, needing to turn up. The tests will be conducted over the next fortnight. The Bronco Test focuses on endurance. It’s a 1,200m shuttle test that calls for sustained aerobic output. It’s intense, and unlike the Yo-Yo Test, it doesn’t allow any rest period between sprints. With the…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Sanju Samson’s reported switch from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings through close-season trading appears unlikely. To start with, CSK aren’t pursuing the deal vigorously, while Royals are pretty calm about the situation. The decision with regards to the cricketer’s future rests with Manoj Badale, Royals’ principal owner, it is learnt. Sanju, the Royals captain, asked the franchise to release him after IPL 2025. Ahead of last year’s mega auction, Royals had retained him for Rs 18 crore. But he played only nine of their 14 matches due to a side strain. Riyan Parag was the stand-in…