Cricket world

KKR Winning IPL 2024 (Credit: @iplt20 on instagram) To break news in advance is one of the major tasks of a news organisation. Before something has happened, they say that this is going to happen. It’s not like making predictions about the future. It’s more of deducing, based on the knowledge of the past and present, which helps form an idea of what’s coming. It requires hard work and a continuous process of staying in touch with reality. RevSportz reporting on retention of players for the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League has been a shining example of that. Almost 100 per cent of the names mentioned by us across our different platforms have been retained. Here’s a tiny example, we reported that Punjab Kings would keep hold of Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. That’s exactly what has happened. It’s easier to mention prominent names. Not quite when it comes to these uncapped players. That’s what we did. This happened only due to diligence and hard work. Let’s take Chen...

From Left : Nicholas Pooran, Shashwat Goenka, Boria Majumdar. He has always had a sense of calm about him. A very West Indian kind of relaxed mindset and demeanour. And having seen adversity, he knows that one needs to celebrate and value the good that comes your way. The urge to keep getting better, to be the best version of oneself, is what defines the new Nicholas Pooran. That’s what came through in the long and candid conversation at RPSG House in Kolkata as we settled down to speak about his IPL retention. Shashwat Goenka, now much more hands on than he was a few years back, outlined in detail what prompted the franchise to choose Pooran and also spoke at length about the auction strategy. Excerpts from the conversation: Boria: Shashwat, I will start with you. Why Nicholas Pooran for a whopping amount of 21 crores? Shashwat: As you mentioned before we started, he is currently one of the best T20 batters in the world, and arguably the most destructive. Look at his strike-r...

Gautam Gambhir attended the Press Conference ahead of the 3rd test between India and New Zealand. Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai Despite the poor showing of India’s batters, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, refused to pin the blame on certain individuals while accepting that the entire squad was hurt after losing their first Test series at home since 2012. India head into the third Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai bidding to avoid a clean sweep, while also aiming for a crucial win in the context of the World Test Championship (WTC). “I’m not going to sugarcoat this,” Gambhir told reporters in Mumbai on the eve of the third Test. “Obviously, it’s hurting. And it’s good that it’s hurting because it should hurt. Every time you lose a game, be it at home or be it away from home, it should hurt. That hurt will make us better. Sometimes people say that it should not hurt. But it should hurt. “When you’re playing for your country, what’s wrong in being in that ...

Abhishek Nayar at the PC ( Source RevSportz) Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai India’s prospects of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final have taken a hit following their historic series loss to New Zealand. That also ended their long-standing invincibility on home soil. To secure a spot in their third consecutive WTC final without depending on other results, India must win four out of their remaining six matches. As they prepare for the third and final Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, assistant coach Abhishek Nayar backed the senior pros, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to come good despite their recent struggles in the longest format. Pertaining to reports that Harshit Rana had been called up for the third Test against New Zealand, Nayar, in the pre-match press conference, said, “No additions to the squad.” Addressing rumours about the Indian team manipulating pitch conditions to favour spinners, Nayar was quite clear.“We wish we ...

Wankhede’s pitch ahead of 3rd pitch and Harshit Rana (PC: Subhayan and X) Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai Delhi’s Harshit Rana is in line to make his Test debut in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Rana was quietly added to India’s squad for the third Test on Tuesday after he scored a 59 and picked up seven wickets in a Ranji Trophy match against Assam. Similarly to Washington Sundar in Pune, it could be Rana’s turn in Mumbai. Under Gambhir’s mentorship at the Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2024, Rana impressed, securing 19 wickets, which played a key role in KKR’s success that season. His knack of extracting additional pace and bounce, particularly from a good length, distinguishes him from his peers. Rana was on the verge of a T20I debut against Bangladesh, but a viral infection delayed his international debut. The selection between a three-pace attack or two pacers with three spinners will dictate his inclusion, possibly leading to res...

Virat Kohli in nets (PC: Debasis Sen) Players are remembered for different reasons. Some for their deeds and some for failures. Virat Kohli’s case is a queer one. Unquestionably one of the greatest of batters of his generation, he has been spoken about of late for his inability to cope with spin bowling. His records are still quite overwhelming. However, there is a reason to think that he will be remembered for both reasons. This is the tale of a strange contradiction. Kohli is on the same pedestal with Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. They are the contemporaries he is compared with. There is no doubt that the Indian is head and shoulders above these peers when it comes to one-day cricket. He is perhaps the best batter in the history of the 50-over game. At the same time, it is difficult to overlook that Kohli’s average has dipped below 50, unlike Root (51.01), Smith (56.97) and Williamson (54.48). For a long time, the Indian averaged above 50 in all three formats. Whil...

Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul (PC: BCCI) Subhayan Chakraborty in Mumbai Indian cricketers are always under the microscope, and criticism comes thick and fast when players are not having consistent returns. Over the last few years, players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill have been the mainstay in the middle order and all of them have gone through their fair share of criticism when not on song. Now, the spotlight shifts to KL Rahul, who is in a contest with Sarfaraz Khan for the crucial No. 6 batting position, especially with India’s upcoming five-Test series against Australia around the corner. A win in the Mumbai Test against New Zealand is paramount, as India’s chances for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final are at stake following their twin losses to the Kiwis. India simply cannot afford to lose. As was the case in Pune, there is a direct showdown between Rahul and Sarfaraz for the number six spot in Mumbai with slight focus ...

From Left: Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna. Source: X If there is something that draws attention immediately to the Indian squad for the tour of Australia, it’s the number of fast bowlers. For the five-Test series, there are five in the side of 18 — Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana. Plus, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini have been added as travelling reserves. From the outside, eight pace options is an unusually high number. Rarely, possibly never, have India travelled with so many of them. Obviously, only five are the first-choice options, but effectively, the team can choose from eight if need be. Five Tests over a month and-a-half is a gruelling tour and the team management wants to make sure that they are not short on resources in case of breakdowns. On one hand, this appears to be a safety-first approach. Other than Bumrah and Siraj, the other three in the primary squad are newcomers. Deep h...

PC – BCCI. Saima Thakor. Saima Thakor, the Mumbai-born cricketer, has varied interests. When she was younger, she had aspirations of becoming a goalkeeper for her college team and then she ended up being the forward. When it came to cricket, she wished to be a wicketkeeper but took up pace bowling as it was told to her that it is relatively less expensive to bowl. Fast-forward to the present day, and she showed some spark with her medium pacers on her ODI debut against New Zealand. In the very next game, batting at No. 10, she stitched a 70-run stand for the 9th wicket with Radha Yadav, which almost eclipsed a record in ODIs. From the aforesaid lines, it is quite evident that Saima is a woman of many talents.  For starters, let’s consider her performance with the ball in the opening India-New Zealand ODI. Although she took the prized scalp of Suzie Bates in her first over with a fine outswinger, she seemed to be struggling with a change in tactics from Smriti Mandhana. The In...