Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Shamik Chakrabarty in Dubai Mohammed Shami went on top of his bowling mark, his knees heavily strapped. Reading anything into it would be an exercise in futility, for at 34 years of age and coming back from a long injury lay-off, discretion, or rather precaution, is always the better part of valour. There’s a languid approach in Shami’s run-up. He never looks like busting a gut. Off he went, with Rohit Sharma facing him at the nets. The ball pitched a bit outside off and the India captain left it alone. The radar didn’t work, but Shami was just warming…

-Shamik Chakrabarty in Dubai They came together, not in batches. Gautam Gambhir was the first to come out followed by Hardik Pandya and then Virat Kohli. Fans had assembled at the Dubai airport and there was a murmur about not seeing Rohit Sharma. The skipper stepped out of the arrival gate after a while. Rohit boarded the team bus and stepped off it. He chatted with the support staff, seemingly indicating that he had forgotten something. The India captain could have been a good case study for Robert Lynd if the famous Irish writer of the Forgetting fame were alive.…

Sheldon Jackson recollected his emotions in the privacy of the dressing room, and the void suddenly started to sink in. He had just called it a day, after 15 years of first-class cricket. The Ranji Trophy quarter-final between Saurashtra and Gujarat that ended on Tuesday was his last. Saurashtra lost, but Sheldon left the field to a guard of honour. After 106 first-class matches and 7,283 runs at an average of 45.80, he deserved that. “It’s obviously going to be very difficult for me, because cricket has been such a big and important part of my life,” Sheldon said, speaking…

Gautam Gambhir believes that Varun Chakravarthy could be an x-factor in the Champions Trophy, a reason why he has been drafted in despite not being in the provisional squad. The India head coach was pretty clear-cut about several issues at the post-match press conference after his team’s 3-0 clean-sweep of England in the ODI series. Excerpts: On Varun’s inclusion Look, the only reason was (that) we wanted another wicket-taking option in the middle. And we know what Varun brings to the table, that he can be a massive threat. With a lot of teams who haven’t played him, he could…

In a body blow for India, Jasprit Bumrah will miss the Champions Trophy. The team’s best fast bowler hasn’t recovered from a lower back injury he had sustained during the Test series in Australia and will be unavailable for the entire tournament. Harshit Rana will replace him in the squad. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has also drafted in spinner Varun Chakravarthy at the expense of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. “Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury,” said the BCCI press release. “The Men’s Selection Committee has named…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack What did Rohit Sharma’s 119 off 90 balls in the second ODI against England do? It earned him enough elbow room ahead of the Champions Trophy. The India captain has a mind of his own, but even if he decides to call time on his international career after the ICC event, he will do it on his own terms. Make no mistake, Rohit was under intense pressure. His response impressed Jos Buttler even, despite the fact that England lost the game in Cuttack and the three-match series. “Yeah, I suppose sometimes it’s probably a nice reminder…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack The back-up generator continued to whir at the Barabati Stadium complex. The game had finished about an hour ago. The post-match fireworks were illuminating. The mid-game floodlights failure was depressing. The back-up generator was used to restart play after a 35-minute stoppage. It felt like an embarrassed Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) was doing overcorrection. Out there in the middle, a turnout of 45,000 revelled in a Rohit Sharma show. The India captain’s international career seemingly had entered the twilight zone. At 37 years of age, Rohit withstood the test of sinew to make a statement return…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack Rohit Sharma’s bat performed a waltz and the Barabati trilled. That 32 x 4.5-inch blade had become thin as a carrot over the past few months. On Sunday, teetering on the Lakshman rekha, the India captain used the willow to marmalise England bowling. A 76-ball century was the outcome. And as Rohit raised his bat, the nation breathed a sigh of relief. He stood himself down in Sydney. Another failure here, and the clamour would have grown exponentially to step down before the Champions Trophy, notwithstanding that it’s a different format. A 90-ball 119 spared Indian…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack Will Varun Chakaravarthy go to the Champions Trophy? Well, he has a definite chance. He has been drafted into the squad as an additional member for the ongoing ODI series against England. On Sunday in Cuttack, he made his debut in 50-over internationals. India’s provisional squad for the Champions Trophy doesn’t have Varun, but changes can be made until February 11. Prior to that on Monday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir are likely to have a conversation. The 33-year-old from Tamil Nadu is expected to be firmly in their…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack Rohit Sharma was lighting up the Barabati Stadium when floodlights conked off. The stadium has eight light towers, one of them fell asleep. In the majority of the smaller centres, mismanagement could be the name of the game. The floodlights fiasco during the second ODI between India and England here in Cuttack showed the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) in a bad light. At 6.15 pm, with India on 48/0, chasing 305 for victory, lights went off, halting the proceedings. It was a brief pause, for lights came back around 6.23 pm and play was about to…