Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

The IPL 2025 summit clash in a way offers a throwback to last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final — Shreyas Iyer versus Rajat Patidar. Shreyas’s Mumbai defeated Patidar’s Madhya Pradesh in that game. The context here is different, so are the teams. Only domestic cricket nerds cared about the SMAT title showdown. On Sunday, when Shreyas was shining like a star in the Ahmedabad night sky, JioHotstar logged 40 crore concurrent viewers. Two deserving teams are in the final, and it is good for the IPL and cricket. Royal Challengers Bengaluru under Patidar has finally gotten over their…

“It was important that Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) comes and bowls that over, and the margin becomes bigger,” Hardik Pandya said at the post-match presentation after defeating Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. When you run out of superlatives, you keep it simple. For Bumrah, simplicity is genius. Like Mumbai Indians captain, their coach, Mahela Jayawardene was matter-of-factly, when he was asked about the great fast bowler at the post-match press conference. “There was definitely no concerns when he (Bumrah) came back (from the injury lay-off), because the reputation itself carries through,” said Jayawardene. “He bowled a few sessions (after coming back)…

Shamik Chakrabarty They don’t give you death by a thousand cuts. They don’t smash you to smithereens. Usually, the pattern is that against Mumbai Indians, opponents feel they are always in the game, until they are not. They try to react, but it’s too late. That was Mumbai Indians (MI) of yore. Things have changed of late. The IPL is fiercely competitive. But four years without a title is not befitting of a franchise of MI’s stature. Worse, they finished at the foot of the table last season, and a reportedly fractured dressing room rather than their cricket was the…

In the game against Lucknow Super Giants, Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off something that was hitherto unknown to the armchair viewers and ‘experts’ across the length and breadth of the country. Chasing 228 for victory, they were 123/4 in the 12th over, and it was time to send an ‘equerry’ to collect data from Mumbai Indians’ practice session. That was the old RCB, over-reliant on Galacticos. Things have changed this term. Jitesh Sharma won the game for RCB, playing arguably the innings (85 not out off 33 balls) of the tournament yet. The TV camera panned on Virat Kohli. Indian…

On Monday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put out a picture on their X (formerly Twitter) handle, as they rewound to their IPL title triumph in 2024. The group photo with the cup at the centre of a banquet table was accompanied by a post: “A day that will live in our hearts, forever. Celebrating 1 year of our third IPL crown.” Shreyas Iyer was left out of the celebratory post, although acknowledging his contribution would have been classy. KKR didn’t win their third IPL title only with their retained players. Check out the tweet from KKR here A day…

I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you’re mine, I walk the line — Johnny Cash Andre Siddarth is lucky enough to sit next to his captain on Chennai Super Kings’ team bus. The young and the old recently had a conversation. “I asked Andre, ‘how old are you?’ And he is exactly 25 years younger than me,” MS Dhoni told the host broadcaster after the game against Gujarat Titans on Sunday. The other day, Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi touched his feet. The southpaw is a teenager. Dhoni will turn 44 in July. “Definitely, you…

Shamik Chakrabarty Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, will pull the duvet up on India’s England-bound Test squad on Saturday. And apart from who will be the captain, a big call needs to be taken on Mohammed Shami. The selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir can’t be blasé about, and summarily reject, someone who by dint of his quality and pedigree, is the second-most important bowler in India’s pace pack. There have been reports about selectors being concerned over the fast bowler’s fitness, his ability to bowl longer spells. But Shami’s captain in the Bengal Ranji Trophy side voiced his vote…

Shamik Chakrabarty It was all or nothing for Manchester United. The worst United team in 51 years got nothing. They deserved nothing. Old-timers would attest that in 1974, when they were relegated from the old first division, Tommy Docherty’s side played better football than Ruben Amorim’s snowflakes. They were so bad that they allowed Tottenham Hotspur, of all teams, to win a European trophy. Tragedy befell United at San Mames in Bilbao, and this club, now a global laughing stock, deserves every bit of suffering. United are an embarrassment to football and the repercussions of their loss in the Europa…

Shamik Chakrabarty On the face of it, this is a pretty shambolic Europa League final. The two teams turning up are the global laughing stocks of football at the moment. Manchester United — 39 points from 38 matches — are placed 16th in the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur are a point behind at 17th. Without Bruno Fernandes, United probably would have been relegated. Tottenham seemingly lost interest in the league and made the Europa League their Holy Grail once they slipped out of the top-six race. And yet, in United’s context, this is a game they can’t afford to…

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…