Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati New captain, same old story. India’s toss fortune didn’t change. Be it Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant for this Test, India’s captains have been defying the Probability Theory for fun, tongue firmly ensconced in cheek. In the second Test against South Africa here in Guwahati, Temba Bavuma once again called correctly and opted to bat first on a pitch that has already shown some signs of assisting spin as the game progresses. Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton made a cautious start, the right approach for the first session of a Test match. The first boundary…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati India’s training session on the match eve, they call it matchday-minus-one these days, was scheduled from 9 am. The team bus arrived at the stadium about 10 minutes before 10am. It was an optional practice session and only three players turned up. KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan went through their paces for the next couple of hours, in all likelihood the team’s top three for the second Test here in Guwahati starting on Saturday. At 12.21 pm, the BCCI media advisory confirming Shubman Gill’s unavailability for the Test landed in the inbox. RevSportz…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati In 2018, he came here as a callow 20-year-old to make his ODI debut. Circa 2025, and he is now India’s 38th Test captain. Guwahati has been kind to Rishabh Pant. Fortune has had a habit of playing peek-a-boo with Pant. After his near-fatal car accident in December 2022, it was almost unthinkable that he would return to the international fold again. The southpaw was courage and resilience personified. Not only did he return to competitive cricket, he gradually regained his peak form. Then, a Chris Woakes toe-crusher played spoilsport again at Old Trafford in…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, while their match against Pakistan is likely on February 15 in Colombo, RevSportz understands. As per the tentative schedule, the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will be played from February 7 to March 8. The India-Pakistan game will be a high-profile affair, notwithstanding the lopsided nature of the contest, with geopolitics involved. It is learnt that Mumbai is likely to host a semi-final on March 5, while the final is in Ahmedabad on March 8. If Pakistan qualify for the…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia sat down for an exclusive interview with RevSportz. He touched upon many subjects. Excerpts: Q: It’s a momentous occasion. Guwahati would be hosting its first-ever Test match and it must be a proud feeling for you. A: I have to thank Mr Jay Shah, who was the secretary of the BCCI when we first made the attempt to have a Test match in Guwahati. That was, we have to go back to the year 2019, in the month of June-July. We first made the request to the BCCI to allow us to…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati Two days before the Test, the pitch at the ACA Stadium at Barsapara here in Guwahati had a tinge of green. In fact, the ground staff were working on two strips, both red-soil surfaces, and as India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said at the press conference, the pitch is expected to play better vis-à-vis Eden Gardens. Guwahati is hosting its first-ever Test. It has played host to white-ball internationals before but any centre takes hosting the game’s purest format as a badge of honour. Guwahati is also BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia’s home town. A poor…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati Rishabh Pant was told to get ready for the big job by the Indian team management on Wednesday, even as the decision was taken that Shubman Gill would be flying with the team to Guwahati, RevSportz understands. The India captain was ready to push the envelope, but he was always fighting a losing battle in terms of getting fit for the second Test. Playing the second Test against South Africa starting on November 22 could have been counterproductive both for Gill and the team. If he had broken down again mid-game as in Kolkata, it…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Guwahati Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa to be played here in Guwahati from November 22, it is learnt. RevSportz broke the story on November 18 that the India captain was all but ruled out of the series decider. And although he has travelled with the team to Guwahati, he won’t play. Rishabh Pant will lead India in the second Test. Gill suffered a neck injury while batting in the first innings during the first Test at Eden Gardens. That was last Saturday. As the pain became severe, he was…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Kolkata RevSportz wants to reiterate that Shubman Gill is all but ruled out of the second Test between India and South Africa starting on November 22. The India captain is travelling with the squad to Guwahati today to continue with his recovery process under the BCCI medical team. But to play in Guwahati, he needs to perform a medical miracle. As this website already reported, Gill will start neck exercises in a day. After that, according to specialists, it will take him at least 5–7 days to be fit. India need to fill the No. 4…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Kolkata Simon Harmer has sustained a knock on his right shoulder, but it’s too early to determine the extent of his injury, it is learnt. The South African off-spinner visited a private hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday for medical examinations. The reports are awaited. Harmer sustained the injury during the first Test in Kolkata, as he dived to stop a ball while fielding. Harmer was adjudged Player of the Match in the first Test after returning with a match haul of 8/51. Of the scalps he accounted for, six were left-handers. It would be premature to speculate…