Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty If Mumbai Indians win against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, they will qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs at the Delhi-based franchise’s expense. There’s a metaphor attached to this. MI’s turnaround in the tournament started with a jailbreak at Kotla, via three run-outs in the last over. MI had landed in Delhi after losing four of their first five matches. A defeat in that game, and they probably would have reached the point of no return. A big team rose to the challenge in a win-or-bust game. Mental fortitude separates the champions from also-rans. MI have won the IPL…

Shamik Chakrabarty Should Shreyas Iyer be part of India’s Test squad for the England tour? Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain who also served as chief selector, remained non-committal. The No. 4 position in India’s batting order has fallen vacant following Virat Kohli’s Test retirement. There’s a school of thought that Shubman Gill should bat there, giving up his No. 3 position to Sai Sudharsan. Asked about this, Vengsarkar shouldered arms. “Shreyas is a brilliant cricketer,” he told RevSportz. “He has been scoring runs, but to come to a conclusion that he should be part of the Test squad,…

Will Rishabh Pant be the vice-captain of the Indian Test team for the England tour? His name is being floated by a section of the media. RevSportz, however, has learnt that nobody – chief selector Ajit Agarkar or head coach Gautam Gambhir – has spoken to him about this yet. The captaincy, too, is not an open-and-shut case, although Shubman Gill remains the frontrunner. The appointment of the deputy-skipper offers greater intrigue. On the face of it, Pant should have been a stronger contender for captaincy by virtue of his seniority and pedigree as a Test cricketer. For example, Gill…

Shamik Chakrabarty It started with a bang and ended with a whimper. Before the start of this year’s IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders held a fan engagement event, ‘Knights Unplugged 2.0’, where they took the vow to defend the title. Dwayne Bravo, the new team mentor, blasted out his famous Calypso – ‘Champion’. On Saturday, as the KKR’s slim playoff hopes melted in the Bangalore rain, their campaign gave a fragmentary vibe. KKR fans won’t have to wait until the final league game to see the denouement. It’s done and dusted. A tally of 12 points from 13 matches attested inconsistency.…

After India’s T20 World Cup win last year, Rahul Dravid gave a team talk. The former India coach started off with Rohit Sharma before turning to Virat Kohli. “All three whites ticked off. One red to go. Tick it,” said Dravid, as Kohli listened intently before breaking into a smile. About 12 months down the lines, things have changed in the Indian dressing room. Dravid is now the head coach of Rajasthan Royals, while Kohli is a retired Test cricketer. Ticking “the red”, a World Test Championship winner’s medal to be precise, will remain a void in his illustrious career.…

Karun Nair has expectedly been brought back to the Indian team’s scheme of things. He was named in the India A squad for the tour of England. These three matches — two first-class fixtures against England Lions and a third against the Indian senior team (intra-squad) — would be his audition for the upcoming five-Test series against England starting on June 20. Shardul Thakur, too, is in the 18-member squad. The seam-bowling all-rounder last played for India in December 2023. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had dropped a hint that they moved on from the 33-year-old. But Shardul scored 505 runs…

Shamik Chakrabarty India’s Test captaincy post-Rohit Sharma for the upcoming tour of England might not be an open-and-shut case. The general assumption is that Shubman Gill will succeed Rohit in the longer format and there have been reports about the Punjab batsman being unveiled as the new Test skipper likely on May 23. However, it is learnt that in the corridors of the BCCI, there’s still some uncertainty. Jasprit Bumrah’s case is not ruled out yet. Grapevine has it that head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a meeting with the selectors and the BCCI brass on the captaincy issue at…

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…