Posts

Sanju Samson opens up on leaving Rajasthan Royals: ‘It was a huge risk’

Image
Sanju Samson (PC: IPL/X) Sanju Samson has spoken about why he decided to leave Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. After spending 11 seasons with RR he joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a trade deal worth Rs 18 crore. Speaking on JioStar the wicketkeeper-batsman spoke about his decision and the support he received from CSK. “Leaving Rajasthan Royals was a huge risk. Once you convey your feelings to the franchise, there is no going back. You could end up in a team you do not want to go to or even in the auction with no certainty,” Sanju said. “There were two reasons behind this decision. First, I was sure that 2025 would be my last season with RR. I had long conversations with my family and my wife.” He added: “Second, I am a confident person. I believe I can stand on my own. I am always ready to start from zero. Many people told me that my batting style might not suit the slow Chepauk wicket.” Sanju struggled in his first three matches for CSK but...
Post a Comment
Read more

Test Twenty five years from now

Image
Test Twenty How many cricketers in the WPL have played in the Test Twenty competition in the last few years asked the journalist from the Times. Gaurav Bahirvani, relaxed and satisfied with how the format has become all encompassing, takes a deep breath before saying, “I haven’t kept a tab on the number. Numbers don’t mean much to me. Quality does. If these girls believe that they have improved as cricketers because of the parity rule, that they are now being called to WPL trials for having been a part of the Test Twenty, I’d consider it a job well done”.  This is the biggest positive from the format in the last five years. When it started in 2026, a number of questions confronted it. How will the world look at parity? How can the format go beyond mere tokenism and become more meaningful and how can it actually empower women? How will the men take to a format that advocates men and women to be equal stakeholders?  In fact, there were other questions also. How will men take ...
Post a Comment
Read more

ZIM vs IND – “It was very difficult especially the gap of two years”: Mayank Yadav opens up on injury struggles

Image
Mayank Yadav (PC: BCCI) Indian pacer Mayank Yadav marked his return to international cricket with a fine performance in the first T20I against Zimbabwe to help his side seal a comfortable seven-wicket win in Harare on Thursday. The fast bowler, who spent two years on the sidelines due to injuries, took two for 18 and earned the Player of the Match award. After his impressive comeback, Mayank reflected on the difficult phase in his career. “It was very difficult, especially the gap of two years was a challenge because age wasn’t on my side,” Mayank said in a presser. “I was just 22-23 [years old]. I felt that I had to suffer so much at a young age. At the same time, the motivation to play for the country was always there. So I wanted to make a comeback and perform as I did before.” Mayank also spoke about how India’s young pace attack comprising Prince Yadav and debutant Ashok Sharma helped him during the game. “We don’t talk a lot about pace but we have a nice bond. I bo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vaibhav cracks first international fifty; India take 1-0 lead

Image
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi The opening T20I between Zimbabwe and India in Harare will be remembered for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi leaving his first footprints in international cricket as he blazed his way to a 19-ball 50. Eventually, on the back of a fine all-round show, India defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Vaibhav tornado In a chase of 126, Vaibhav looked to take the attack to the opposition from the first over. However, it was in the second over that Vaibhav took his game to another level, thwacking Richard Ngarava for two sixes and a boundary. The key feature of his batting was the 15-year-old executing the pull shot in the second over. In England, Vaibhav was mostly looking to clear the front leg and slog it across the line. Vaibhav also cracked on-the-up shots against short-of-a-length bowling. After crunching his first international fifty, he fell to Richard Ngarava. By then, he had put India in a commanding position. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas I...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Oval to host WTC final and Ashes ender in 2027

Image
England (PC: X/England cricket) The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced a busy home schedule for 2027 with the men’s and women’s Ashes series set to be the biggest attractions of the summer. England men’s team will begin their Test campaign against Australia on June 18 at Trent Bridge. The five-Test series will then move to Lord’s, Edgbaston, the Rose Bowl and The Oval. The Rose Bowl will host a men’s Ashes Test for the first time and the Oval will stage the final match of the series. England women’s team will also take on Australia in the multi-format Ashes. The series will start with a one-off Test at Headingley on June 24. Then the focus will shift to thee T20Is and three ODIs at different venues in England Before the Ashes England Men will also host Pakistan for a five-match ODI series and will later welcome Bangladesh for a one-off Test at Lord’s. Their preparations for the 2027 World Cup will end with a white-ball series against New Zealand in September....
Post a Comment
Read more

India v Zimbabwe: Focus on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but Sanju Samson will be India’s first-choice opener at Asian Games

Image
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PC: BCCI) Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai In isolation, this is a ‘goodwill’ tour — low-profile, a David versus Goliath contest. The BCCI supports smaller cricket boards, and it has been standing by Zimbabwe ever since they became an ICC Full Member in 1992. An India tour guarantees a windfall for the host boards, through TV rights revenue and other commercial partnerships. The three-match series against Zimbabwe, starting today, however, is a little different. India were flying high after winning the T20 World Cup, but the recent tours of Ireland and England brought them down to earth. They suffered a 2-0 T20I whitewash against Ireland before going down 4-0 in the five-match series against England. The other game was a washout. In conditions that had a bit for the bowlers, India’s batting vulnerabilities were exposed. Shreyas Iyer, who has taken over the T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav, has arrived in Zimbabwe with a 6-0 record in reverse (six losses and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

EXCLUSIVE | ‘Don’t Change Yourself’: How Gambhir’s Blueprint and a Late Father’s Dream Fueled Yash Thakur’s India Call-Up

Image
Yash Thakur got his maiden India call up for Zimbabwe T20I series (Photo: ACC) The luggage carousel at Nagpur International Airport is an unlikely backdrop for a life-altering moment. Yet, for 27-year-old Vidarbha fast bowler Yash Thakur, that mundane wait for baggage upon returning from India A’s tour of Sri Lanka transformed into the pinnacle of his cricketing journey. Thakur and his Vidarbha teammate Harsh Dubey – who also earned his India call up recently following his performances for Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad – had just landed when the news broke. Thakur’s phone buzzed, delivering the call he had chased for nearly a decade: a spot in the Indian senior squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. “I actually just sat down there for a couple of seconds to process what had just happened so quickly,” Thakur recalls in an exclusive interview with Revsportz, the disbelief still fresh. “The dream that everyone has, that was my dream too, an...
Post a Comment
Read more