Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

In 11 T20I innings so far for India, Rinku Singh has scored 38 (21), 37* (15), 22* (14), 31* (9), 46 (29), 6 (8), 68* (39), 14 (10), 16* (9), 9* (9), and 69* (39), averaging 89 with a strike-rate of 176.23. Given Rinku’s outstanding performance for India in the shortest format, there was an uproar on social media as pundits and fans questioned the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for dropping the Uttar Pradesh batter. Rinku learned about the decision before leaving for Mumbai on Tuesday evening for Kolkata Knight Riders’ next game against Mumbai Indians and there was a…

The anticipation is building, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) men’s senior selection committee gears up to meet in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to finalise India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. This critical meeting follows an informal discussion in Delhi last weekend between chief selector chairman Ajit Agarkar, head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma. The meeting in Ahmedabad is expected to be attended by key figures including board secretary Jay Shah, Agarkar and other members of the selection committee. Despite Rohit’s IPL commitments with the Mumbai Indians, he is expected to join the…

Subhayan Chakraborty at Eden Gardens Harshit Rana’s journey to becoming Kolkata Knight Riders’ lead pacer had its ups and downs. He was a net bowler with the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 when KKR’s Rasikh Salam, now with Delhi Capitals, got injured. This was when KKR’s Nitish Rana, who also hails from New Delhi like Harshit, suggested to Abhishek Nayar that they call up this 6ft 2inch pacer, who back then hadn’t even made his senior debut for Delhi’s state team on the domestic circuit. Call it fate, but Nayar was impressed by Harshit on the first day of his…

In a breathtaking display of batting, Punjab Kings pulled off a historic run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, setting fresh records and thrilling fans with an exceptional display of range hitting. The match, which saw a total of 42 sixes – the most ever in a T20 game – showcased some incredible power-hitting by the batters. However, at the same time, heart goes out to all the bowlers, who are having to bowl at the flattest of decks being produced all across the country. The magnitude of Punjab Kings’ achievement is underscored by the slew of records…

Punjab Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, as fiery knocks from Jonny Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh helped the visitors end their four-match losing streak. In was a record-breaking outing in Kolkata, with Punjab chasing 262 runs, the most-ever in any T20 match, with eight balls in hand. The match also witnessed most sixes (42) being hit in a T20 game. Narine, Salt light it up again Sunil Narine and Phil Salt enjoyed yet another show-stealing outing as the duo stitched a 138-run opening partnership, the highest of the season. They stuck to their template of dominating…

A hot and humid Kolkata is set to host Punjab Kings as Kolkata Knight Riders look to continue their rich run of form against the visitors, who are staring at their fifth consecutive defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. KKR have had sheer dominance over Punjab with 21 wins in 32 matches played between the two sides. There have been lots of smiles in the KKR camp since the return of their former captain Gautam Gambhir as team mentor. Gambhir’s magic formula looks to be working with the team, sitting pretty on second with five wins in seven.…

The stellar form of Shivam Dube, particularly evident in his exploits with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024, cannot be ignored. His performances present a compelling argument for his inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad, despite him not bowling a single delivery for CSK from 2023. When Dube broke into the scene, he was seen as a back-up for Hardik Pandya, thanks to his secondary skill which is gentle medium-pace. However, after joining CSK in 2022, Dube has bowled just two overs for the franchise. When he made his India debut in November 2019, opponents quickly found a…

Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered their seventh defeat in eight matches in the Indian Premier League 2024, falling narrowly by one run to Kolkata Knight Riders. The story remains consistent for RCB, with conceding plenty of runs becoming a recurring pattern as they gave away 222 runs against KKR, following their record-setting 287 runs conceded to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous match. The introduction of the Impact Player rule, combined with factors like smaller boundaries and a flat pitch at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has posed challenges for RCB, which they have struggled to address, unlike some other teams in the tournament.…

India veteran Dinesh Karthik has thrown his hat in the ring for the T20 World Cup selection. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is set to convene either on April 26 or 27 to pick the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup. “At this stage in my life, it would be the greatest feeling to represent India. I’m 100 per cent ready. I’ll do everything I can to be on that flight to the T20 World Cup,” said the RCB wicketkeeper-batter on Saturday, on the eve of the KKR match. “I have complete faith in the three best people in…

From finding himself in the dark in 2020 to emerging as one of India’s leading spinners in 2024, Kuldeep Yadav has been a revelation, particularly in overcoming the rough phase he experienced four-five years ago. Kuldeep has been one of the biggest positives from this year’s IPL, with an eye to the upcoming T20 World Cup. He is expected to spearhead India’s spin department in the showpiece event, thanks to the phenomenal run of form the chinaman bowler has showcase across formats over the last year or so. Kuldeep reached cloud nine when everything was rosy for him from 2017…