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Ravi Shastri Stand Unveiled at Wankhede Stadium

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Ravi Shastri Stand Unveiling. Image: Revsportz Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai In his first Test, in New Zealand in 1981, Ravi Shastri batted at No. 10. A year-and-a-half later, he was promoted to open the innings in Pakistan, against a marauding Imran Khan. Sunil Gavaskar, then India captain, preferred him over the specialist openers in the squad. Shastri’s response was a century. He would go on to play 80 Tests and 150 ODIs, emerging as one of the premier all-rounders in the world in the 1980s. He was the Champion of Champions at the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia. On Thursday, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) honoured him by naming a stand after him at Wankhede Stadium. Maybe, it should have been done a long ago. Better late than never. “My first visit at this venue was in 1976 — an India versus New Zealand Test,” said Shastri at the programme. “I watched it from the North Stand, a place where cricket is understood. I saw the great spin quartet. I saw Glenn Tur...
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India’s oldest-living Test player CD Gopinath passes away at 96

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  CD Gopinath. PIC – RevSportz. CD Gopinath, the last-surviving player of India’s maiden Test win, against England in 1952, has passed away in Chennai. At 96, Gopinath was India’s oldest Test cricketer, and the second oldest in the world after the Australian great Neil Harvey.  Gopinath, who was born in 1930, graduated from Madras Christian College. Gopinath was a key member of Madras’ Ranji Trophy winning side in 1954-55. During that season, he averaged 67.75 with the bat. In total, Gopinath, composed 4259 runs at an average of 42.16 in 83 first-class matches. One of his finest knocks in first-class cricket was his 175 against the touring New Zealanders.  Gopinath’s hundred came in the context of South Zone being in arrears by more than 300 runs.  Gopinath made his Test debut against England at the Brabourne Stadium in 1951. In that game, he amassed vital hands of 50 and 42 versus Brian Statham and co. A couple of Tests later in Chennai, India created histor...
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Candidates Chess: Why R Praggnanandhaa’s campaign has gone south

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R Praggnanandhaa. RevSportz picture Javokhir Sindarov was uncharacteristically flat, failing to make the most of a winning opportunity against Matthias Bluebaum in the ninth round of the ongoing Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. The two players settled for a draw, reducing Sindarov’s lead at the top to 1.5.  Anish Giri, the story of the second half of the Candidates so far, won with the black pieces against Fabiano Caruana. With 5.5 points and five rounds to go, the Dutch grandmaster is snapping at Sindarov’s heels. R Praggnanandhaa, the only Indian in the Open section, let a winning position slip against Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi, and it was disappointing. The 20-year-old started off with a spark — a spectacular win against Giri in the first round. He has gradually fizzled. The tournament is all but over for the Indian grandmaster. The ongoing tournament gave him an opportunity to be D Gukesh’s heir apparent to the world title. But currently he is joint-fourth with just fo...
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IPL 2026: Rahane Stays Calm Amid KKR Scrutiny, Reflects on Growth and Eden Gardens Magic

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Ajinkya Rahane_KKR (PC: BCCI/IPL) Ajinkya Rahane has been in the news over the past few days. With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) not performing well, it is only natural that the captain would come under scrutiny. Questions have been asked, and rightly so. Yet Rahane appeared calm and relaxed when he attended the Bengal Pro T20 launch in Kolkata, speaking at length about KKR, the fans, and Eden Gardens. When I asked him how he tries to evolve with the demands of the format, he shared an interesting story. “For a period, I was given the role of anchor by the teams I was part of, and I focused on performing that role to perfection,” he said. “Then, a few years ago, I realised that the game was changing and that I had to add two or more new shots to my armoury. I can tell you I practised for over a year on these shots and mastered them. I got hit multiple times in the ribcage, but that’s what the sport is all about. You need to put in the hard yards and keep growing. The day you stop doi...
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IPL 2026: Ashwin overlooks Kohli, Rohit to name top Orange Cap contender

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Jaiswal celebrating his second fifty of the season. (PC: BCCI) Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has projected Yashasvi Jaiswal as the frontrunner to win the Orange Cap in the ongoing IPL 2026. Jaiswal is the current Orange Cap holder. So far in the tournament, the southpaw has scored 170 runs at an average of 170 and a strike rate of 163.46. His tally includes two fifties. Ashwin’s remarks came after Jaiswal blasted an unbeaten 77 off 32 balls to power RR to a 27-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a rain-affected 11-over clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday. “Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender to win the Orange Cap with a good strike rate this time,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Ashwin also put Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Shubman Gill in the race for the Orange Cap, saying the right-handed top-order batter falls into the same bracket. However, he placed Jaiswal ahead, as Gill missed the game against Rajasthan R...
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Hunger Still Burns: Shami’s Passion for the Game Remains Unshaken by India Snubs

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  Mohammed Shami alongside Rinku Singh, Ajinkya Rahane at an event in the city. Image: Revsportz Mohammed Shami looked fit and hungry as I called on him to come and join the chat show with Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh and Jhulan Goswami. In the city to play for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – another game that runs the risk of a washout with the weather in the city – Shami will have favourable conditions at Eden Gardens as he runs in to bowl. Fresh from his efforts against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the out-of-favour India star seems to have made peace with himself. When I asked him what keeps him going, and how it is that he has played every single match in domestic cricket and is now turning up in the IPL with such passion, his answer was deep and philosophical. “I haven’t forgotten my roots,” he said to a round of applause. “I come from a village, made my mark, and the only thing I knew was to work hard. I continue to do so, and I have to...
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MI collapse as RR continue perfect start in IPL 2026

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Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavansh against MI (PC- BCCI/IPL) Rajasthan Royals (RR) posted a commanding total of 150/3 in just 11 overs, setting a difficult target for Mumbai Indians (MI) in a rain-shortened encounter in Guwahati on April 8, 2026. In response, MI struggled to keep up with the required rate and finished at 123/9 in their 11 overs, falling 27 runs short of the target. Rain played a big role in this clash. The toss was delayed and finally took place at 9:55 pm IST. The start time was revised to 10:10 pm IST, and after a thorough inspection of the ground, the match was reduced to 11 overs per side, with the first 3.2 overs declared as the powerplay. In gloomy conditions, MI skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and did not hesitate to bowl first. RR openers dominate as Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi unleash carnage RR openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put on a show for the fans in Guwahati. Jaiswal got going in style with a boundary past mid-wicket off th...
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