Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

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…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens In the end, two men stood out, as Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a humdinger against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. Rinku Singh hogged the limelight for his fielding. Sujan Mukherjee, the Eden Gardens curator, was the unsung hero. Rinku’s fielding exploits weren’t restricted to his final ball heroics – preventing the second run that would have taken the game to a Super Over. The southpaw was brilliant in the field throughout, saving at least 10 runs during Royals’ innings. KKR won the game by the barest of margins. Away from the spotlight, Mukherjee must have…

Amid Andre Russell muscling the ball and Riyan Parag’s carnage, Varun Chakravarthy’s 2/32 from four overs was probably a bit facile, which slipped under the radar. From Kolkata Knight Riders’ point of view, though, it was important. In the last couple of home matches, the team’s bowling royalty — Varun and Sunil Narine — had just one wicket between them. From that perspective, Varun’s double-wicket over, where he accounted for Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga, contributed to KKR’s win. It was another high-scoring game at Eden Gardens and a question on the pitch came along the expected lines: If the…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens That front foot defence was so textbook, it could have challenged Rahul Dravid’s deadpan neutering of the bowlers. The latter was sitting in the Rajasthan Royals dug-out and must have acknowledged the shot’s purity. On a sluggish pitch, Kolkata Knight Riders were going slow — 111/3 in the 13th over after Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for 30 off 24 balls. When acceleration becomes the need of the hour, Andre Russell has always been KKR’s go-to man. But this season has been a departure from the normal. Russell was struggling to buy his runs, a reason…

Shamik Chakraborty at Eden Gardens The story goes like this — an Indian batsman, now very famous, booked a Merc after getting his first IPL contract. He got a call from a BCCI official the next day, berating him for his profligacy and advising him to invest in real estate rather than a swanky car. The moral of the story was about spending money wisely. Good mentoring is essential for any sportsperson who becomes rich and famous at a very young age. Sachin Tendulkar had his elder brother Ajit. Vinod Kambli probably lacked someone who could help him stay grounded.…

Why doesn’t Sunil Narine overdo his celebrations after taking wickets? When he was young, Narine got a piece of advice from his father: “Be humble, for this game is a great leveller. If in the next match the same batsman blows you away to smithereens, how would you feel?” It struck a chord with the spinner. Even when he plays his last match in competitive cricket, Narine is unlikely to change his routine, for the batter might come back as a commentator bearing the grudge. Narine’s father Shahid was a big influence in his life and career. An unabashed…

It’s time to blare out the song again, that was once a fan favourite at Old Trafford: “Harry Maguire! HaaaarryMaguire! He f***** off Leicester, for Manchester, his head’s f****** massiiiiiiive!” That ‘slabhead’ had given Manchester United the ticket to the Europa League semi-final via an extra-time winner against Lyon. At Estadio San Memes, Maguire channelled his inner Ronaldinho to set up United’s opening goal against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. “Harrydinho,” said the fans. Who would have thought that United would return from the Basque country with a three-goal advantage? The Europa League has been the club’s redemption arc. This is…

Shamik Chakrabarty Has the fare-thee-well time eventually arrived for MS Dhoni? Chennai Super Kings fans say “never say never” to their Thala. But nothing lasts forever. At the toss, before CSK’s game against Punjab Kings on Wednesday, presenter for the host broadcaster, Danny Morrison, asked Dhoni if he would return next year. The CSK captain smiled and said: “I don’t know (if) I’m coming for the next game (laughs).” It left everyone guessing. A four-wicket defeat put paid to CSK’s playoff chances, and Dhoni, at the post-match presentation, once again talked about the future, with a special mention to Dewald…