Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Kuldeep Yadav is in serious consideration to play the fifth Test at The Oval, RevSportz understands. The left-arm wrist-spinner, who hasn’t yet got a game in the ongoing England-India series, might come in for Anshul Kamboj, whose average speed was under medium-pace in his debut Test in Manchester. A final call will be taken after having a look at the pitch and two practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday. The fifth Test starts on July 31. After India’s spectacular jailbreak at Old Trafford, the five-match series is still alive, going into the decider, with the hosts leading 2-1. The Indian…

Shamik Chakrabarty Antigua 2002: Anil Kumble asked the team physio to strap his jaw. There was some hesitation on the other side, but Kumble wouldn’t listen to him. India had an outside chance to win the Test and the team’s best bowler was never going to sit out, notwithstanding a broken jaw. A Merv Dillon bouncer had put a serious dent in that piece of bone while batting. But the leg-spinner was a ‘Tiger’ among men. As he climbed down the stairs, a fan carrying the Tricolour accompanied him until Kumble entered the ground. The brass band played Sare Jahan…

It was an essay, carved out of grit, pain and strong character. Shubham Gill’s captaincy in the Old Trafford Test was ordinary. His century in the second innings was the atonement. It was his ninth century in Tests. Given the backdrop and the context, it was his best yet. Finally, after spending six-and-a-half hours at the crease, Gill’s concentration betrayed him. Lunch on Day 5 was approaching and after being so disciplined for so many hours, the India captain chased a harmless delivery from Jofra Archer outside off to nick it to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. That felt like…

On Saturday, the confirmation came that the 2025 Asia Cup would be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. Both India and Pakistan are placed in Group A, and the arch-rivals will meet on September 14. If the two sides qualify for the Super 4s and win the rest of their matches, they will meet again in the final. The BCCI is the event host. The official announcement regarding the Asia Cup came from Pakistan’s interior minister on a day when India was celebrating the Kargil Vijay Diwas. Naturally, it angered a lot of Indian fans, going by…

Cricket commentary has lost a bit of cutting edge these days. It now revels in being politically correct. In this day and age of social media, even legendary former cricketers are hesitant to speak their mind on air. Sai Sudharsan was lucky that Geoffrey Boycott wasn’t a commentator when he got out for a golden duck in the second innings at Old Trafford. The manner of his dismissal would have certainly angered the great Yorkshireman to the extent of bringing out his irritated best of the 2014 vintage. Clippings are still available to confirm how Boycott had refused to mince…

Joe Root batted, almost until the cows came home, and England stamped their authority on the Old Trafford Test and the series. As things stand, India will have to play out of their skins to make England bat again in the fourth Test. At stumps on Day 3, the hosts were 544/7, leading by 186 runs. Weather permitting, they should wrap up the series in the next two days. The only time Root looked a tad vulnerable was when he was on 98 and facing Mohammed Siraj with the second new ball. The fast bowler had settled into a rhythm…

Liam Dawson is not quite the ‘King of Spain’. In fact, Ashley Giles has every right to take offence to the comparison, while Dawson might not take any if one calls his bowling at Test level ‘left-arm nothing’. The 35-year-old is playing this game because Shoaib Bashir is injured. This is his first Test after a gap of eight years and fourth overall, after making his debut in December 2016. The left-arm spinner provided England with arguably the most vital breakthrough of the day. Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting on 58 and he wasn’t looking like getting out. The ball teased…

Shamik Chakrabarty The National Sports Bill previously had faced rejections, at the cabinet level and in parliament. This time, though, there’s a strong belief that the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, will become an Act in due course. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tabled the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with an aim to bring transparency and standardise India’s sports administration. Here are some salient features of the Bill that promises to overhaul India’s sports governance. Age and tenure cap It’s a bit tricky. The Bill puts the age cap at 70 for office-bearers, extending up to…

One key feature of the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025 is that any sports organisation that wants to use the word “India” or “Indian” or “National”, or any national insignia in any language will have to obtain a no-objection certificate from the central government. The Bill was introduced in Parliament by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday. It brings the BCCI directly under its purview once it is passed and enacted into law. The National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2025, too, was introduced in the Lower House. According to the proposed Bill, there should be only one National Olympic Committee…

Shamik Chakrabarty The National Sports Governance Bill is set to be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, and the BCCI will come under it, RevSportz has learnt. It will mean that the cricket board will be recognised as a National Sports Federation (NSF), making certain recommendations of the Lodha Committee redundant. For example, the current BCCI constitution, drafted on the basis of the Lodha Committee recommendations, makes Roger Binny ineligible as president. The former India all-rounder turned 70 on July 19, the cut-off age for an office bearer. But if the BCCI comes under the National Sports Bill, Binny can continue…