Author: Subhayan Chakraborty

After notching up five successive wins in the World Cup, the India team is gearing up for the sixth match. It’s against England in Lucknow on Sunday (October 29). Wednesday’s optional training session at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium was aimed at fine-tuning strategies, and it included a twist — the sight of Virat Kohli the bowler. All the players, except for Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami and the injured Hardik Pandya, attended this session, which reflected the commitment of the team. However, it was the unexpected arrival of Kohli as a bowler that drew maximum…

Hardik Pandya, India’s all-rounder who has played such a key part in balancing the side, is likely to miss at least the next three matches of India’s World Cup campaign, because of the Grade 1 ankle sprain he picked up while fielding in the match against Bangladesh on October 19. Hardik was helped off the field in that match and subsequently went to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore to have the injury assessed. It’s understood that India will not be calling up a replacement and are happy to wait for Hardik to be part of the business end…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Dharamsala Rahul Dravid, India’s coach, spoke to the media on the eve of the game against New Zealand in Dharamsala. India have started the tournament with four straight wins, including marquee match-ups against Australia and Pakistan. But New Zealand have often been a bogey team at ICC events, and India will have to make do without the injured Hardik Pandya. Dravid spoke about that, the spinners’ star turns, pitches being rated average and much else. On Pandya missing the game He is an important player for us and an important all-rounder. He helps us balance our squad…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Dharamsala Ahead of their much-awaited top-of-the-table clash against New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, India suffered an injury scare that sent alarm bells through the side. Suryakumar Yadav, in contention to replace the injured Hardik Pandya in the XI, suffered an injury during the team’s practice session on Saturday evening. As the team trained intensively on the eve of the crucial match, Suryakumar faced an unexpected setback. A throwdown from Raghu struck him on the upper part of his bat, and the impact seemed to jar his right wrist, causing significant…

The India versus Bangladesh World Cup showdown at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune put the enthusiasm and tolerance levels of the fans to the ultimate test. The process of watching cricket from the stands is not pleasant in many venues in the country. Pune ranks high among those for several reasons. The stadium located on Mumbai-Pune expressway is around 30 kms from the heart of the city. It is connected by only one road. Public transport is minimal. Braving the heat and humidity, fans began flocking towards this place called Gahunje in the outskirts of the city as…

Subhayan Chakraborty in Pune The India-Bangladesh on-field rivalry has become one of the most followed and talked-about battles in recent times. As both the teams gear up to lock horns in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, one would expect a close game, plenty of sledges and banter between fans. In an exclusive interview with RevSportz ahead of what promises to be a high-decibel clash, Mohammad Ashraful, former Bangladesh captain, talked about why India-Bangladesh is a modern-day rivalry, that 2007 World Cup win, the Tamim Iqbal-Shakib Al Hasan controversy, his…

India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey accepts that it is difficult to leave out a bowler of Ravichandran Ashwin’s calibre. But he says that the team chooses the XI depending on the nature of the pitch. In the last two matches, the team thought that a third spinner was not required. Mhambrey also praises Ashwin for taking omission in his stride and doing his best as a team man. The following are excerpts of Mhambrey’s interaction with the media in Pune, a day before the India-Bangladesh match. Q: Any thoughts about the team composition? Mhambrey: It’s a really tough one. You…

Subhayan Chakraborty at the MCA Stadium, Pune As the Indian cricket team look to continue their dominant run in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, having won three out of three matches, the spotlight now turns to their next clash, against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. After a day off, the Indian players took to the training ground on Tuesday with a clear focus on sharpening their skills. The day began with Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Rahul Dravid, head coach, being the first to step on to the field. They engaged in lengthy discussions while…

Subhayan Chakraborty at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad When India emerged to train at the cavernous Narendra Modi Stadium on the eve of the most anticipated game of this World Cup, all eyes were Shubman Gill, especially after Rohit Sharma, the captain, had announced that he was “99 per cent available for the game against Pakistan”. Gill had missed India’s two opening matches after being laid low by dengue fever in the days leading up to the opening game in Chennai. As he stepped into the nets, three net bowlers joined Mohammed Shami to challenge Gill. This group of bowlers…

As Pakistan geared up for the high-voltage World Cup clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, they left no stone unturned during a rigorous training session on the eve of the match. After the pre-match press conference, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, along with Mohammad Rizwan, received guidance from the team’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, and Mickey Arthur, the team director, as they inspected the playing square before heading to the practice nets. With the Ahmedabad pitch expected to favour spinners, the primary focus of the session was on facing the turning ball. The local spinners, stationed at the nets,…