Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

According to reports, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has almost finalised the India A squad for the England tour and the two matches against the Lions would be Karun Nair’s audition for a Test comeback. A five-Test series in England will follow and Nair getting runs for India A would augur well for the Test team. A 15 or 16-member Test squad would be picked, likely on May 23, for the five Tests in England starting on June 20. A bloated pack is not necessary, for players can be selected anytime from the shadow squad – the India A side.…

It was 2004, and India were touring Pakistan for a bilateral Test series for the first time since 1989. The pre-departure press conference took place at Eden Gardens, where this humble hack had asked then India captain Sourav Ganguly about Shoaib Akhtar – the ‘Rawalpindi Express’. “Rawalpindi Express, well will pull the chain,” said Ganguly. The Page 1 lead was secured. Ganguly’s pressers used to be a reporter’s delight. Cut to Rahul Dravid’s first press conference after he took over the reins from Ganguly. Once again, this correspondent was present. A question from S Dinakar – God bless his soul…

Question: Did Virat Kohli quit Test cricket on his own terms? Answer: Yes. RevSportz understands that unlike Rohit Sharma, whose place was uncertain in the England-bound Test squad, Kohli was never given a nudge by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and/or head coach Gautam Gambhir. Transition in the Indian Test team has begun in earnest, but Kohli’s position, at least for the England series, wasn’t vulnerable. So, why did the former India captain decide to hang up his Test boots only about a week before the team selection (likely on May 23) for the England tour? It is learnt that the…

Shamik Chakrabarty Until Sunday evening, the IPL franchises didn’t have a formal word as regards the resumption of the tournament. Some back-channel conversations happened, but teams are waiting for a formal communication from the cricket board. On Friday, the BCCI suspended the remainder of this year’s IPL “with immediate effect for one week”, in the wake of the cross-border conflict. “No, we haven’t heard anything (officially) from the BCCI yet,” chief executive of an IPL franchise told RevSportz on Sunday. “All our players, Indian and overseas, have left for home. We haven’t contacted them yet. We will do that once…

If things go to plan, the IPL 2025 might resume on May 18, RevSportz understands. A lot, though, will depend on the current geopolitical situation, which is fluid. But if the current ceasefire is maintained and there’s no misadventure from the Pakistan side, then the tournament is set for a quick resumption. Of course, it is subject to Indian government permission. “We will review the situation today before taking a decision,” a top BCCI official told RevSportz, saying that he wasn’t “aware” of any ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) approach to its Indian counterpart about holding the remainder of…

Even 12 years after leaving office, Sanjay Jagdale, the former BCCI secretary who also served as a national selector, is reluctant to share the story of a selection meeting that paved the way for Rohit Sharma’s return to the Indian team fold. “The time is not right yet,” Jagdale told RevSportz. “Maybe, sometime in the future, I will reveal it.” Rohit was left out of India’s 2011 World Cup squad. As the story goes, he was in the selectors’ scheme of things for the tournament and also had the backing of Gary Kirsten, then India coach. But MS Dhoni, the…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens The news of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement took Ajinkya Rahane by surprise. A loss to Chennai Super Kings put Kolkata Knight Riders on the brink, and maybe it wasn’t the right time to digress. But this humble hack was the ‘culprit’ at the post-match press conference, who asked Rahane about Rohit’s Test career. The KKR skipper showed grace and lavished praise on his long-term India and Mumbai teammate. To start with, Rahane wasn’t aware. “Oh, is it! His initial response had a note of exclamation. “I didn’t know (about the retirement). I’m actually shocked. I…

Shivam Dube’s rush of blood made things complicated for Chennai Super Kings. The final over started with CSK needing eight runs. MS Dhoni rolled back the years and hit Andre Russell over the deep mid-wicket boundary. Game over. ‘Dhoni, Dhoni’ chants serenaded the great man on the last legs of his glorious career. As for Kolkata Knight Riders, lights were all but out on their playoff hopes. But Kolkata hardly cared. Their hero stayed there until the end to pull off a victory. The fans’ evening was made. The backdrop was different for this game. The National Anthem was played…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens For the second consecutive day, it was a damp squib for the fans who assembled outside Eden Gardens to catch a glimpse of MS Dhoni. The Chennai Super Kings captain skipped the team’s training yesterday. He did the same on Tuesday. To make it clear, Dhoni is absolutely fit and fine, and will play against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. Eric Simons, CSK bowling coach, confirmed that. “With regards to MS, he knows his situation very well, he knows where he is in terms of his preparations,” Simons said at the pre-match press conference. “He…

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) aim to rebuild, and focussing on youth is part of the process. It’s been a poor season for them, with just four points from 11 matches. But the five-time IPL champions are a mature enough franchise not to press the panic button. “We are not blaming anyone, and we will rebuild,” CSK chief executive Kasi Viswanathan told RevSportz. His team is here in Kolkata to play their IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Wednesday. But why did the season go south? Was it down to auction strategy? “A lot of players lost their form…