Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

-Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack The scheduled start of the game is at 1.30 pm. By 10 o’clock in the morning, it felt like all roads in Cuttack were leading to the Barabati Stadium. India versus England is always a marquee clash, irrespective of formats and context. International matches at this ancient city are at a premium. Cuttack has been hosting an ODI after a gap of six years. The craze is massive. The Indian team trained at Barabati on the match eve. England players chose to cool their heels. The fans didn’t mind. They thronged the venue to the extent…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack “What kind of a question is that?” Rohit Sharma had taken exception to a question about his form ahead of the first ODI against England in Nagpur. “This is a different format, different time.” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, a new addition to the coaching staff, is a mild-mannered man. He resorted to the recent past to allay fears about the skipper’s batting travails. “I personally don’t think there’s any problem,” said Kotak at the pre-match press conference, with the stage set for the second game at a rousing Barabati Stadium. More than 20,000 fans turned…

-Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack The old clock tower has stood the test of time. The Barabati Stadium is one venue in the country that has retained its old charm. At the same time, it has failed to intertwine modernity with the old. Vast swathes of concrete galleries offer a throwback to a time when cricket viewing was sepia-stained. Only a handful of enclosures have plastic chairs and those are premium seating areas. The stadium can accommodate around 45,000 spectators, horn-tooters sitting cheek by jowl in the concrete stands. Spectators’ comfort – forget it. The murmurs around Barabati Stadium not having…

-Shamik Chakrabarty in Cuttack Virat Kohli is set to return for the second ODI of the ongoing series against England if things go to plan, RevSportz understands. The former India captain had to sit out of the first ODI due to a swollen knee. According to sources, however, the injury wasn’t serious and he has travelled with the team to Cuttack. So, unless there’s another eleventh-hour issue, Kohli would be part of India’s playing XI in the second match. India will train on the match eve from 5 pm on Saturday. The session is expected to give a clearer picture…

Harshit Rana’s selection ahead of Arshdeep Singh for the first ODI against England in Nagpur raised a few eyebrows. Conspiracy theories sell in Indian cricket, and that Gautam Gambhir connection was once again mentioned. The young fast bowler, who made his ODI debut on Thursday, might have to live with the excess baggage until he makes a name for himself. Arshdeep is arguably India’s No. 1 white-ball seamer when Jasprit Bumrah is not playing. On the face of it, his omission was baffling. Then again, the Indian team management probably chose to look at the bigger picture as Rana was…

Nagpur, February 6 and Rohit Sharma – does the association strike a chord? The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium was the venue of his heartbreak then, in 2010. Circa 2025, and Nagpur is set to host the India ODI captain at a time when his international career is at crossroads. Yes, it’s coincidental that the first ODI between India and England here is on February 6. But the date allows the opportunity of a throwback. On that dreaded February 6 morning 15 years ago, Rohit had hurt his ankle during a practice session 15 minutes before the start of a…

The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, headed by Sanjiv Goenka, secured the ownership rights of Manchester Originals, a franchise in The Hundred league in England. The RPSG Group acquired 70 per cent stake in the franchise, making them the first majority stakeholders yet in a Hundred side. With the enterprise value of Manchester Originals set at £106 million, the RPSG Group forked out £75 million to own the majority stake. The break-up is as follows – 49 per cent stake is from the ECB, while Lancashire decided to sell 21 per cent of their 51 per cent stake in the Originals. The…

The thinly-veiled dig from Michael Vaughan was sort of expected. As the concussion substitute controversy erupted during the fourth T20I between India and England in Pune, the former England captain posted on X (formerly Twitter): “How can an out & out bowler replace a batter who bowls part time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” A day later, this correspondent bumped into Wasim Jaffer, Vaughan’s old friend and his X rival, at Eden Gardens. Jaffer is currently coaching the Punjab Ranji Trophy team and on the sidelines of an interview focusing on domestic cricket, when he was asked about Vaughan’s post, the former opener folded…

-Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens Bengal signed off with a bang, winning by an innings and 13 runs against Punjab and clinching seven points from this Ranji Trophy game at Eden Gardens. It took their points tally to 21 from seven group league matches. But they fell behind Kerala and Haryana in Elite Group C, and failed to qualify for the knockouts. From Bengal’s perspective, the washed out game against Bihar in Kalyani would rankle. It was a seven-pointer for the hosts. But the ground wasn’t covered and rain on the match-eve put paid any chances of play over the…

Shamik Chakrabarty at Eden Gardens Even at the Eden Gardens press box, the buzz was around Virat Kohli. The TV was switched on early. The Bengal versus Punjab Ranji Trophy game here is being live-streamed. The Delhi versus Railways fixture is live on TV. Overnight Bengal batsman Sumanta Gupta neared his half-century. The attention seemed to be desultory. The anticipation was about Kohli coming out to bat, about a thousand miles away at Feroz Shah Kotla. As Himanshu Sangwan sent Kohli’s off stump for a walk and the superstar perished for six, the TV was switched off and the focus…