Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

Trouble is brewing at the Bridge. The working relationship between Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital is said to have reached a breaking point and the club is on the brink of a boardroom ‘civil war’. The whole thing can adversely affect the five-time Premier League champions on and off the pitch. Here’s how things have been panning out… What is Chelsea’s ownership structure? Boehly and Clearlake Capital took the ownership of the club in the summer of 2022, when Roman Abramovich had to sell, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Clearlake own 61.5 per cent stake at the club,…

In all likelihood, the IPL will allow four retentions and two RTMs (Right to Match) for the 2025 mega auction, RevSportz understands. The franchises have been waiting for the IPL to finalise the retention rules and accordingly, they will take a call on retaining their players. The RTM rule allows a franchise to buy back a player by matching the highest bid at the auction. It was first introduced in 2014. With the mega auction coming up, franchises will offload a number of players. Some of them will return to the fold through the RTMs. “We still don’t know what…

The speed gun showed 152 kph. Nahid Rana was working up serious pace and the Pakistan batters looked uncomfortable. Only a handful of spectators cared to pay a visit to the Rawalpindi Stadium for the second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Rana’s bowling deserved a bigger audience. Once upon a time, Pakistan fast bowlers used to drive fear intothe opposition. Now, the boot was on the other foot. For the first time, Bangladesh fast bowlers took all 10 wickets in an innings. It set up their team’s six-wicket win in the second Test and a clean sweep in the two-match…

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United co-owner, sat in the directors’ box, wearing a face like thunder. Then, as Liverpool scored another goal, he covered his face with his hand. United’s match-going fans are too classy to boo the manager, especially during a game against their biggest rivals. They started to leave the stadium. That was their silent protest. On the pitch, a United side bereft of shape and structure were getting eviscerated by Arne Slot’s Liverpool on their home patch. Anfield’s Dutchman has been at the club for three months and his team has been playing with a clear identity.…

If things go to plan, Mohammed Shami will return to competitive cricket in October, with Bengal’s Ranji Trophy opener against Uttar Pradesh. The 33-year-old fast bowler has been included in a 31-strong list of Bengal probables after a conversation with Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly. The game against Uttar Pradesh starts on October 11, followed by a home fixture against Bihar from October 18. The CAB expects Shami to be available for both matches. “Yes, I had a conversation with him (Shami),” Snehasish told RevSportz. “Accordingly, we have included him in the Bengal probables. He told me…

Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s red-ball coach, didn’t publicly mention the D-word, but between the lines, it was evident that Shaheen Shah Afridi’s omission from the second Test against Bangladesh was performance-related. The fast bowler is seemingly on a downward spiral, bowling medium pace, not making a wicket-taking impact and leaking runs. Over the last one year, Shaheen’s Test bowling average has taken a serious hit – 40.81 compared to his career average of 27.08. In the first Test of the ongoing series against Bangladesh that Pakistan lost by 10 wickets, the left-arm quick bowled 30 overs in the first innings, returning…

Will the Impact Player rule be persisted with? It has divided opinion since its inception in 2023, and ahead of the 2025 season, the IPL governing council will take a call. The rule got backing from Zaheer Khan, the former India fast bowler, who was unveiled as Lucknow Super Giants team mentor on Wednesday. “I’m going on record to say that I’m for it,” said Zaheer at an LSG press conference in Kolkata. “It has definitely given opportunities to a lot of uncapped Indian talents. That is something you will see in the mega auction, when teams will be looking…

Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the next independent chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Shah, the current BCCI secretary, will assume the role on December 1. Moving to the ICC means that the 35-year-old will have to vacate his BCCI post and it is learnt that Rohan Jaitley, the current Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president, and Ashish Shelar, the incumbent BCCI treasurer, are in the race to replace Shah in the cricket board. Shah was the sole nominee for the ICC chairmanship after current chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term. He…

The current situation in Bangladesh makes sport peripheral. A country reeling under ferment and submerged by a devastating flood had nothing to cheer about of late. From that perspective, Bangladesh’s first-ever Test win against Pakistan was a momentary upliftment for their cricket fans. But there’s obviously a bigger picture and Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto spoke about that after the victory. “It’s a wonderful victory, but let’s not forget what’s happening back home,” Shanto told reporters, dedicating the win to those who gave their lives in the students’ movement. “It’s quite sad what’s happening in the country. I have seen…

Many years ago, as the Indian team was playing fun football ahead of a nets session, Shikhar Dhawan tried to do something spectacular with his feet. It didn’t come off and he fell on the floor. It had his teammates in stitches. As he dusted himself off, Dhawan wore a sheepish smile. That was the man, ‘Gabbar’ or ‘Jatt Ji’ to his colleagues, who didn’t mind his pals making a joke at his expense. Dhawan could make everyone around him positive. He was a very popular member of the dressing room. From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin,…