Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Pakistan will not boycott the T20 World Cup to show solidarity with Bangladesh if the ICC rejects the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) plea to move their matches out of India. Asked if Pakistan, too, would pull out of the ICC event, starting on February 7, if Bangladesh’s matches aren’t shifted out of India, a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told RevSportz: “Nope, this is not the PCB’s stand.” He added: “Pakistan don’t have any ground to do so, for the ICC would tell the PCB that they are already playing their matches in Sri Lanka. People just…

At the meeting with the ICC representatives in Dhaka on Saturday, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials asked the world body to put them in a different group in the T20 World Cup. The proposal is for a swap that would allow Bangladesh to play their matches in Sri Lanka. Grapevine has it that the BCB has asked the ICC to place Bangladesh in Group B and Ireland in Group C. The Group B matches will be played in Sri Lanka. However, it is learnt Ireland have received assurances from the ICC that they won’t be forced to change the…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Prasidh Krishna’s economy rate in 23 ODIs is 6.02. He has taken 40 wickets since making his debut in this format in 2021. Arshdeep Singh’s economy rate over 14 ODIs is 5.29. He has taken 22 wickets since making his debut in 50-over internationals in 2022. Prasidh can extract extra bounce off the deck because of his height. In his case, though, negatives far offset the positives. Even after so many years — he made his debut in first-class cricket in 2015 and List A debut two years later — Prasidh remains a prisoner of his…

Shreyas Iyer is back in India’s T20I fold, as is Ravi Bishnoi. As reported earlier, Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand that starts in Nagpur on January 21. Bishnoi, the leg-spinner, has replaced the off-spin-bowling all-rounder who suffered a rib injury during the first ODI of the ongoing series against the Kiwis in Vadodara. Shreyas has been added to the squad for the first three matches in place of the injured Tilak Varma. “Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during…

Between 2007, when he made his debut, and 2023, Rohit Sharma had played 235 ODIs, scoring 9,454 runs at 48.73, including 29 hundreds (three double centuries). He used to bat in a certain way, a slow burn with the aim to bat through and explode at the death. His range allowed him, it still does, to make up for a cautious start and in the end, a healthy strike-rate was guaranteed. Then came the 2023 World Cup where the opener decided to lead by example, presenting himself in a new avatar. Rewind to the 2023 showpiece, Rohit started with a…

The signs were clear in Vadodara, the venue for the first ODI between India and New Zealand. Washington Sundar left the field after bowling five overs, and belatedly when he came out to bat at No. 8, he wasn’t moving well. It felt like the injury was more than a side strain, something that was going to trouble him. The confirmation came a day later via a statement from the BCCI that said: “India all-rounder Washington Sundar reported an acute onset discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA…

Hard numbers tell the story. Michael Bracewell and the debutant Jayden Lennox conceded 76 runs between them in 20 overs and took two wickets. Glenn Phillips, their third spin-bowling option, bowled three overs and gave away 13. Compare this with India’s two frontline spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav accounted for 126 runs between them in 18 overs and removed just one opposition batter, on a sluggish Rajkot pitch. Kuldeep’s figures read 10-0-82-1. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the sixth bowling option. His medium pace wasn’t effective and he bowled just two overs. In the injured Washington Sundar’s absence, Ayush Badoni…

KL Rahul never had the endorsement of Indian cricket’s all-knowing spectre, a vast section of e-fans who revel in venom-spewing from cosy armchairs. Social media gives them a platform. Match-going cricket lovers, not star worshippers, know his value and in the latter half of India’s innings in the second ODI against New Zealand here in Rajkot, they started to serenade the wicketkeeper-batter with “Rahul, Rahul” chants. The century was still 20 runs away. It came in due course, Rahul’s eighth in ODIs. On a slow pitch, his 112 off 92 balls took India to a fighting total. In the…

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to introduce central contracts for senior team players. The association’s Apex Council approved it in a meeting on Wednesday. However, it is learnt that no India player and/or IPL player would get the MCA contracts. “To ensure long-term player development and well-being, the Apex Council has approved central contracts for players, reinforcing its commitment to providing structured support and financial security to emerging talent,” the MCA stated in a press release. The Apex Council also took the decision to name the inter-college tournament after former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar. Furthermore, a “Dedicated…

First, some ‘home truths’ — since the start of the ongoing season, Ravindra Jadeja has featured in four ODIs, and he has taken just one wicket at an average of 213. He has scored 60 runs with his highest being 32. Four matches are a small sample size, especially for someone like Jadeja, but those who have covered India’s matches during this period would agree that bowling-wise in particular, the champion all-rounder is not looking at his peak. The new season started with question marks over the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in international cricket. Jadeja, the other…