Author: Shamik Chakrabarty

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai On a day when the Maharashtra government felicitated Women’s World Cup-winning Indian team members from the state, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting a plot of land to establish a dedicated residential women’s cricket academy. In his letter to the chief minister, MCA president Ajinkya Naik mentioned that the academy would serve as a centre of excellence. “In line with our commitment to the growth of women’s cricket, we are keen to establish a dedicated residential women’s cricket academy within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR),” Naik wrote in his…

By Shamik Chakrabarty in Mumbai The numbers read like this — three matches, five innings, 95 runs at 23.75, and a highest score of 42. Still early days in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, but for a player who boasts an average of 63.73 (north of 110 over the last five years in first-class cricket), these are modest returns. It’s too soon to say Sarfaraz Khan is going through a lean patch, but he hasn’t quite looked like his usual self so far this season. In his pursuit of returning to the Test side, Sarfaraz’s preparations for the season began…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai The real talking point in India’s squad selection for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa has been the omission of Mohammed Shami. On Wednesday, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced a 15-member squad, and Rishabh Pant coming in for N Jagadeesan and Akash Deep in place of Prasidh Krishna were expected. Shami wasn’t considered and his exclusion naturally has divided opinions. There’s a school of thought that the veteran fast bowler, one of the finest-ever in Indian cricket, has been unfairly treated. The counter-view is that the selectors still have every reason to be sceptical about…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Are Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) up for sale? In a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday, Diageo — the owner of the franchise that has teams in the IPL and WPL — called it a ‘Strategic Review of the Investment Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL)’. It didn’t use the word ‘sale’. But the buzz in the market is that come the next financial year, RCB will have a new owner/owners. According to reports, Diageo might ask for a valuation of around $2 billion. “RCSPL’s business comprises ownership of the “Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)”…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai At the presentation ceremony after the Women’s World Cup final, Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian captain, bowed down to touch Jay Shah’s feet. The ICC chairman stopped Harmanpreet and bowed to the skipper in reverence. He saluted India’s ‘narishakthi’. Now, Shah has spoken about his passion for women’s cricket. “I’ve been passionate about women’s cricket for a long time, and the success of the latest ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is a testament to so many who have been working openly and behind the scenes for years to see this growth and evolution materialize before our very eyes,”…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Tom Moody is set to join Lucknow Super Giants as their global director of cricket and the announcement is imminent, RevSportz understands. Moody, the former Australia all-rounder and one of the most respected coaches in the circuit, will be in charge of the all RP Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG)-owned franchises — LSG, Durban’s Super Giants in SA20 and Manchester Originals in The Hundred. This will mark Moody’s return to the IPL after 2022. LSG had appointed Zaheer Khan in a similar role ahead of the 2025 IPL, but things didn’t quite work out as planned, and the…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai A victory parade to celebrate the World Cup triumph of the India women’s team appears unlikely at this moment. The BCCI haven’t yet finalised any plans, and to put things in perspective, the cricket board has every reason to be a tad hesitant. “Nothing like a victory parade is planned as of now,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by news agency IANS. Saikia has left for Dubai to attend the ICC meetings. Several other Board officials are expected to be there as well. People in Mumbai still talk about the open-top bus parade of…

Shamik Chakrabarty in Navi Mumbai In the western suburbs of Mumbai, it was pouring since morning. Until midday on Sunday, Navi Mumbai had kept the inclement weather at arm’s length. Eventually, the region’s luck ran out. Closer to the toss, as India and South Africa were gearing up to play the final of the Women’s World Cup here at DY Patil Stadium, the heavens opened up. It was, in fact, a slow burn — a drizzle that increased steadily and turned into a downpour. The toss was initially delayed to 3 pm, which obviously couldn’t take place. At the…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai Shreyas Iyer has been discharged from the hospital on Saturday. India’s ODI vice-captain, who suffered an internal injury during the third ODI between India and Australia at the SCG on October 25, “is stable and recovering well” but will continue to stay in Sydney for his follow-up medical procedures. “He (Shreyas) is now stable and recovering well. The BCCI Medical Team, along with specialists in Sydney and India, are pleased with his recovery, and he has been discharged from the hospital today,” said a BCCI statement. Two doctors, Dr Koroush Haghighi and Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, have been…

Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai During India’s tense run chase in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia, the TV cameras zoomed in on Jay Shah — the ICC chairman riveted to the action, sitting alongside BCCI president Mithun Manhas. About an hour and a half later, as Jemimah Rodrigues pulled off a miracle at DY Patil Stadium and went into the embrace of her teammates, Shah must have felt a small glow of satisfaction. Let’s get it straight — without the BCCI, with him as its secretary, India’s rise as a powerhouse in women’s cricket wouldn’t have happened. From…