East Bengal Cricket team is all set to take the Kolkata Club Cricket club by storm after a not-so-successful last season. The red and yellow brigade will have a totally reformed team ahead of the 2023/24 season of Kolkata Club cricket. The Maidan giants have roped in coach Abdul Monayem from Bhawanipore to get the trophies back to the club. Abhishek Das is set to lead the club. Sportz Point brings you the full list of the East Bengal squad before they even sign at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Even before the last season ended fully, fans knew that some of their major players would leave the club. Players like Ishan Porel, Ankur Paul, Akash Pandey and Sayan Shekhar Mondal will join the arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Athletic Club for the next season. So, to replace them, the team management had to look for some match winners in the squad. All-rounders Ayan Bhattacharjee, Akash Ghatak and Shryean Chakraborty will be one of those players for them. Writtick Chatterjee and Arka Sarkar will be their other main all-rounders for next season.
"We have got the best all-rounders of Kolkata Club Cricket:" East Bengal captain Abhishek Das
Coach Abdul Monayem and captain Avishek Das feel having good all-rounders will give the team the exact balance they are looking for in the squad. Not only that, captain Abhishek Das went on to say that Ayan Bhattacharjee and Akash Ghatak are some of the best pace bowling all-rounders going on in the market.
"Having good all-rounders is always vital. They provide you with the balance in the squad. Me and Ayan have been playing for many years. I feel Ayan and Akash Ghatak are some of the best at the moment from Bengal. You can use them anywhere with the bat and ball," Abhishek Das told Sportz Point in an exclusive telephonic conversation.
In the batting lineup, East Bengal will have the services of Subhrajit Das, who was captain of Customs Club last season. Along with him, there will be Mithilesh Das (roped in from Kalighat), Ayan Gupta, Shashank Singh (roped in from Shaymbazar) and Suroit Yadav. Amitoze Singh will be their outstation player in the batting lineup. Sourav Paul and Arpan De will be the main wicket-keeper batters for them.
"You can not win without being positive:" Das
Abhishek Das will be crucial in the batting lineup at the top of the order and he admits to that. "I know at the top of the order, I will be vital for the team, giving them a good start. I am attacking in my approach but never reckless. Even if I get reckless it is balanced with braveness," Das told Sportz Point.
Just like my batting, I will be very much positive in my captaincy as well. You can not win matches without being positive. This will be a huge responsibility for me after serving Bhawanipore for 13 years. There will be many boys whom I have played with at Bhawanipore. So, I guess, that will make it easier for me," Abhishek Das added.
With the new-looking squad, it looks like Amit Kuila will be the pace-head for them. The railways' pacer will join them from Kalighat after having a successful stint at the club. Sumit Mohanta will be his partner in crime. Satyaki Dutta, Arka Sarkar, Akash Ghatak and Ayan Bhattacharjee will be the other pacers for them. Roshan Singh will be their left-arm quick to provide variety to the squad.
Kuila, Shreyan, Sumit and Roshan Singh makes a good bowling department for East Bengal"
The spin bowling department is one of the most vital parts of the success of Kolkata Club Cricket. Shreyan Chakraborty will head that department for East Bengal. Shreyan already had a great run for East Bengal in the past and surely would love to continue that this season. Along with him, it will be Vineet Mourya, Amrit Raj Upadhyay, and Balkesh Yadav in the spin department for the ultras.
"It's a challenge and responsibility for me:" Coach Abdul Monayem on being appointed as the coach of East Bengal Cricket team
Coach Abdul Monayem is hopeful of doing great things as a coach. Abdul Monayem as a player was very successful for the Red and Yellow. But, he knows this is a huge responsibility as public clubs like East Bengal demand success.
"It is a challenge and responsibility for me. East Bengal being a public club, will always demand success from me and us. As they say, "amago club," I believe East Bengal as my club from my playing days. I have done coaching in Mohun Bagan as well but that was 15 years back. So, I am really hoping for a great season ahead," Monayem told Sportz Point.
"We have got a very balanced side with lots of all-rounders. We have a mix of youngsters and experienced players. So, really hoping to play some good cricket," he added.
East Bengal Cricket Team full squad for Kolkata Club Cricket season 2023-24
The premier domestic competition named after the first Indian cricketer, Ranjitsinhji, who was also known as 'Ranji', was launched in 1934-35 featuring 15 teams in four zones in a knockout format and has since expanded to a 32-team tournament in the league and knockout format.
The first-ever edition was won by Bombay now known as Mumbai, who have also won the Ranji title the most. Record champions Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy 41 times so far. Mumbai has also reached the final 47 times.
Karnataka earlier played as Mysore is the second most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, having won the title 8 times and finished runners up 6 times followed by Delhi, who have won the title 7 times and finished as runners-up 8 times.
The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 has finally concluded with Vidarbha winning their third Ranji title defeating Kerala in the finals. Let's check out the last 10 winners of the Ranji title.
East Bengal vs Hyderabad FC Highlights ISL 2024-25 |East Bengal Secures Historic Hat-Trick of Wins in Indian Super League with 2-0 Victory Over Hyderabad FC| FT EBFC 2-0 HFC
Catch the highlights of the East Bengal vs Hyderabad FC match in ISL 2024-25 at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Indian football as we continue bringing you all the live updates of the Indian Super League 2024-25. Tonight, We will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the exciting encounter between East Bengal FC and Hyderabad FC at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
East Bengal are currently positioned eighth on the leaderbarde, having earned 24 points from 21 matches. Hyderabad, on the other hand, have only managed to earn 17 points in 21 matches as they are in the 12th position.
Both teams will look to end the season on a high. So sit back and enjoy the match as Sportz Point provides you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.
This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.
Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.
Final Whistle Blows!! East Bengal FC 2-0 Hyderabad FC
Feb 26, 2025, 3:55 PM
90+4' | GOALLLLLLL!!!!!!!
Messi Bouliiiiii, what an exceptional goal by Messi, earned a loose ball from his half and outnumbered Hyderabad's defense line and he netted the ball. He scored his first goal
Feb 26, 2025, 3:52 PM
90+4' | Throw in for Hyderabad
Feb 26, 2025, 3:51 PM
90+1' | Change for EBFC
Jesin TK in, Naorem Mahesh Singh out.
Feb 26, 2025, 3:49 PM
End of regulation time | 5 minutes extra time
Feb 26, 2025, 3:46 PM
86' | GOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!
The Red and Gold brigade takes the lead, an exceptional ball from the corner and David Hamar's flick, deflected by Manoj's head and EBFC scored the opener.
Feb 26, 2025, 3:43 PM
86' | Corner for EBFC
Feb 26, 2025, 3:43 PM
85' | Brilliant Defensive show by Hyderabad FC
Feb 26, 2025, 3:42 PM
84' | Throw in for East Bengal
Feb 26, 2025, 3:41 PM
83' | Another Throw in for Hyderbad
Feb 26, 2025, 3:40 PM
83' | Throw-in for Hyderabad
Feb 26, 2025, 3:40 PM
82' | Back-to-back corner for EBFC
Feb 26, 2025, 3:39 PM
81' | Corner for East Bengal FC
Feb 26, 2025, 3:32 PM
74' | Substitution for Hyderabad FC
In: Devendra Murgaonkar
Out: Md. Rafi
Feb 26, 2025, 3:31 PM
73' | Substitutions for East Bengal FC
In: David Lahlansanga, Jeakson Singh
Out: Dimitrios Diamantakos, Souvik Chakrabarti
Feb 26, 2025, 3:31 PM
72' | How can he miss this?
That was simply the best opportunity for East Bengal in the second half.
Diamantakos found the cross inside the six-yard box but failed to land a touch to make a simple tap in.
Feb 26, 2025, 3:29 PM
70' | Diamantakos' shot is too high
A defensive error from Hyderabad led Diamantakos to have the possesion, but he wasted the opportunity with a high and off-target strike!
Feb 26, 2025, 3:27 PM
69' | Chance for East Bengal
Messi Bouli attempted another header but failed to connect well again.
Feb 26, 2025, 3:22 PM
64' | Chance for Messi Bouli
Messi Bouli anticipated Celis' pass in front of the box and took a quick strike on the turn which was too high over the crossbar!
Feb 26, 2025, 3:21 PM
62' | Such a good effort from Mahesh!
Naorem Mahesh dribbled past three Hyderabad played and lodged a left-footed strike from inside the box, that just went inches wide off the far post!
Feb 26, 2025, 3:16 PM
58' | Substitutions for East Bengal
In: Richard Celis, Provat Lakra
Out: Hector Yuste, Nishu Kumar
Feb 26, 2025, 3:15 PM
57' | Off target from Yuste
Yuste powered a header following a set-piece, but the ball went wide off the first post.
Feb 26, 2025, 3:12 PM
54' | Messi Bouli hits the post!
Messi Bouli delivered a brilliant curler on target from the left that only rattled the far post!
A brilliant right-footed strike by Edmilson Correia from outside the box hit the right post!
Feb 26, 2025, 2:45 PM
45' | 2 minutes of added time announced
Feb 26, 2025, 2:39 PM
38' | Chances for East Bengal
Crespo took a poor strike following a headed-in pass by Anwar, but the shot ended up in Messi Bouli's feet. Bouli attempted a strike on the turn, but Sapic stayed tall in blocking the shot.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:37 PM
37' | Yellow for Saji
Hyderabad skipper Alex Sajji received a yellow for a foul.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:37 PM
35' | Rabeeh is denied
Rabeeh attempted a strike from a distance that was denied on target.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:29 PM
30' | Too high for Naorem
Naorem's right-footed cross from the right soared way over the crossbar.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:27 PM
26' | Couple of chances for East Bengal
Messi Bouli attempted to power a header from close to the goal following a corner kick, but he failed to connect it well.
Before that, another sublime cross from Crespo was not well met by any other East Bengal player.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:22 PM
21' | Chungnunga gets booked
Lalchungnunga received a yellow for a nasty foul.
He will miss East Bengal's next game.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:21 PM
20' | Brilliant save from Gill!
Edmilson physically defeated Anwar inside the box and took a strike from a tough angle on the right, as Gill stayed tall in making a good save! The rebound strike from Allan Paulista was also denied by the East Bengal custodian.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:19 PM
16' | Great block from Hyderabad
Diamantakos had only the keeper in front of him but took some time to attempt the strike. Hyderabad defence quickly rejuvenated to block the attempt.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:14 PM
12' | Great defence from East Bengal
Chungnunga stayed alert in defence to tackle the ball away. East Bengal midfield is making unnecessary backpasses which have already brought them in danger two times.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:10 PM
9' | Chance for East Bengal!
Nishu delivered a dangerous cross from the left, as Diamantakos was almost one on one with Arshdeep, but Sapic made a brilliant tackle to clear the danger.
Feb 26, 2025, 2:07 PM
5' | Fiery start from the visitors
Despite lacking in the final third, Hyderabad have produced some positive attacks from the very first minute.
Starting XI: Arshdeep Singh (GK); Muhammed Rafi, Alex Saji (C), Stefan Sapic, Manoj Mohammed; Ayush Adhikari, Andrei Alba; Abdul Rabeeh, Joseph Sunny, Edmilson Correa; Allan Paulista
On December 28th, 2024, Manoj Mohammad's last-minute equalizer for Hyderabad canceled out Jeakson's strike for East Bengal as the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium.
The Nizams are out of the play-offs qualification race.
Feb 26, 2025, 10:51 AM
Play-off Scenario | East Bengal FC
Oscar Bruzon’s team's chances of making the playoffs are slim. They would need to win all their remaining games, including a victory over NorthEast United FC, and still require the Highlanders to lose their other match or hope that Mumbai City FC fail to collect any more points.
Additionally, they would need Kerala Blasters FC, Punjab FC, and Chennaiyin FC to drop points in any of their remaining games, while also hoping Odisha FC do not collect more than three points in their last two matches
Feb 26, 2025, 10:50 AM
Tonight's venue | VYBK (Salt Lake Stadium), Kolkata
Feb 26, 2025, 10:49 AM
How to watch the match?
Football fans in India can watch the game in ISL 2024-25 on Star Sports Network, Sports18 3 TV Channel, the JioHotstar App, and the JioHotstar website.
Punjab FC vs East Bengal FC | Indian Super League 2024-25 Highlights | Punjab FC 1-3 East Bengal | The Red and Gold Brigade triumphed with a 3-1 victory against The Shers
Catch the highlights of the Punjab FC vs East Bengal FC match in ISL 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.
Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Indian football as we continue bringing you all the live updates of the Indian Super League 2024-25. Tonight, We will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the exciting encounter between Punjab FC vs East Bengal FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.
Punjab FC will be very disappointed after the last match against Chennaiyin FC as they had plenty of opportunity to score goals in the second half to seal the three points for them. But poor finishing and defending cost them, as they will look to bounce back at their home when they do battle against Oscar Bruzon's managed side.
Currently, they are placed in the ninth spot and a string of good results will push them to high positions but at the same time, they will hope that other teams drop points.
Injuries and individual mistakes have cost East Bengal FC a lot and made the job of coaching staff very difficult. The red and gold brigade will have to win every fixture that is left to be played then only they will have some changes to make it. After a good win over old rival Mohammedan SC, they will be looking to keep their positive momentum against the Shers.
This is Swastik Debnath, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.
Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.
Messi Bouli's run was blocked by Meitei's sliding tackle
Feb 22, 2025, 12:17 PM
End of Regulation time | Extra 4 minute added
Feb 22, 2025, 12:16 PM
44' | Chance for East Bengal
A brilliant pass from Crespo to Messi B. and he puts a pass into the final third for Dimitrios but he failed to net the ball
Feb 22, 2025, 12:14 PM
42' | Free Kick to East Bengal
Punjab's defense committed a foul on PV Vishnu
Feb 22, 2025, 12:13 PM
41' | Brillant defense by Hector Yuste
Feb 22, 2025, 12:10 PM
39' | Throw in for Punjab
Feb 22, 2025, 12:10 PM
39' | Brillant save by Ravi Kumar
Feb 22, 2025, 12:09 PM
38' | Another throw in for East Bengal
Feb 22, 2025, 12:09 PM
38' | Throw in for East Bengal
Feb 22, 2025, 12:08 PM
36' | Yellow Card to Novoselec
Novoselec committed a foul on Vishnu, and the referee showed the yellow.
Feb 22, 2025, 12:07 PM
35' | East Bengal is putting constant pressure on Punjab FC
Feb 22, 2025, 12:05 PM
33' | Free Kick to East Bengal
Pulga Vidal committed a foul on Saul Crespo
Feb 22, 2025, 12:04 PM
33' | Throw in for East Bengal
Feb 22, 2025, 12:02 PM
31' | Drinks Break
Feb 22, 2025, 12:01 PM
29' | Chance for Punjab
Pulga puts a long ball into the final third for Petros but he fails to net the ball
Feb 22, 2025, 11:59 AM
28' | Free-kick to East Bengal
Pulga committed a foul on Dimitrios
Feb 22, 2025, 11:58 AM
27' | Counter by Punjab
A dangerous run by Suhail was blocked by Rakip
Feb 22, 2025, 11:57 AM
25' | Chance for Punjab
Suhail's run was cleared by East Bengal's goalkeeper Gil.
Feb 22, 2025, 11:55 AM
23' | Corner for Punjab
Punjab's attack failed to find an equalizer from the set-piece
Feb 22, 2025, 11:54 AM
21' | What a chance for Red and Gold Brigade
A brilliant run by Messi B. and he puts a pass into the final third for Dimitrios but Dimitrios' shot hit the post and the rebound was found by Vishnu but he failed to net the ball
Feb 22, 2025, 11:52 AM
20' | East Bengal is showing constant domination
Feb 22, 2025, 11:49 AM
15' | GOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!
The Red and Gold brigade takes the lead, a brilliant run from Dimantakos, and his shot finds the net after an awful defense by Meitei.
Feb 22, 2025, 11:46 AM
14' | Throw in for East Bengal
Pulga Vidal's through-pass for Suhail but Suhail failed to get the ball
Feb 22, 2025, 11:43 AM
12' | East Bengal is showing Constant domination on Punjab
Feb 22, 2025, 11:41 AM
10' | Throw in for Punjab FC
Vidal's through ball to Suhail but Anwar cleared the ball
Feb 22, 2025, 11:40 AM
8' | The Shers are looking to hold on to ball
With East Bengal keeping their defense line tight, Punjab FC is running the ball all over the midfield, waiting for the correct to use their attacking trio
Feb 22, 2025, 11:38 AM
5' | Free kick to Punjab
Messi Bouli committed a foul on Novoselec
Feb 22, 2025, 11:37 AM
4' | Chance for East Bengal
Messi Bouli's through ball for Mahesh and he put a cross into the final third but no one anticipated the ball, throw in for East Bengal.
Ravi Kumar (GK), Rick John Shabong, Asmir Suljic, Norberto Vidal, Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Petros Giakoumakis, Ashis Pradhan, Muhammad Suhail, Leon Asokan, Ivan Novoselec, Suresh Meitei
𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗔 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘! 🦁💥
Here’s how #TheShers take the field tonight! Game faces on, let’s hunt! ⚡🔥
Punjab FC have lost each of their last three ISL games against Kolkata-based teams, including a 2-4 defeat to East Bengal FC on December 17, 2024.
Feb 22, 2025, 9:06 AM
Head-to-Head (Last 5 matches)
Competition
Date
Match
Score
Winner
ISL 2024-25
17-12-2024
East Bengal vs Punjab FC
4-2
EBFC won
ISL 2023-24
10-04-2024
Punjab FC vs East Bengal
4-1
PFC won
ISL 2023-24
09-12-2024
East Bengal vs Punjab FC
0-0
Tie
IND Division 1
13-02-2020
East Bengal FC vs Punjab FC
1-1
tie
IND Division 1
07-12-2019
Punjab FC vs East Bengal
1-1
Tie
Feb 22, 2025, 8:57 AM
Players to Watch | East Bengal FC
Messi Bouli:
This is his second stint in India as he played for Kerala Blasters a few seasons ago under Eelco Schattorie. In the last match in the absence of Celis, he performed well and helped his team to get all three points in the derby.
Feb 22, 2025, 8:56 AM
Players to watch | Punjab FC
Petros Giakoumakis:
Giakoumakis was brought in as a replacement for Mushaga Bakenga and till now he has performed well for the team. Even though he missed some easy chances to score in the last match but still the head coach has full trust in him. He has adapted very fast to his team and surely, he will be a big threat to the away team’s defense.
Feb 22, 2025, 8:53 AM
Head-to-head (All Competitions)
Games Played: 11
Punjab FC: 2
East Bengal FC: 5
Draws: 4
Feb 22, 2025, 8:50 AM
Venue | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Feb 22, 2025, 8:46 AM
How to watch the match
Football fans in India can watch the game in ISL 2024-25 on Star Sports Network, Sports18 3 TV Channel, the JioHotstar App, and the JioHotstar website.
"There is nothing as sweet as comeback:" Sayan Ghosh wants to make Ranji Trophy return after white-ball success in 2024-25 season
Sayan Ghosh emerged as the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in both Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25. The Bengal pacer now looking for his Ranji Trophy return.
Chakdaha, a very tiny town in the Nadia district of West Bengal, is known to the cricketing world for a very special player. It is Jhulan Goswami, who made Chakdaha famous with fiery spells all around the globe, wearing the Blue jersey of India.
When Jhulan was breaking records in women's cricket, another speedster from Chakdaha dreamt of breaking stumps and records too. Sayan Ghosh, known as Bengal's Malinga, saw ups and downs from the start of his cricketing career. But, like his swinging yorkers, Sayan never swayed away from his targets.
Ghosh last played a Ranji Trophy game way back in 2017. In 6 first-class games, he has two five-wicket hauls. Still, he was never called back to the Ranji Trophy, team until this season. The reason is his incredible comeback into the white ball side for Bengal.
Sayan Ghosh's incredible season in white-ball format
Sayan Ghosh celebrating a wicket in SMAT pre-quarters vs Chandigarh. Image | PTI
Sayan was always called the "White Ball" specialist due to his ability to hit yorkers and variations. However, with bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Ishan Porel and Akash Deep doing well, he found himself out of the side in the last few seasons. But, his will to keep doing well at the club level, helped him make another comeback to the Bengal side.
This season, Sayan Ghosh was the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in both Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, he returned with 13 wickets from 7 games at an outstanding economy rate of 6.77.
Bengal wins the thriller against Chandigarh and marches forward to the semi finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024.
Former KKR bowler Sayan Ghosh was the star of the show as he picked up 4 wickets and defended 11 runs of the final over that helped Bengal come out on top. pic.twitter.com/ZdOl4soLSt
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the stats were even better as he capped off the season with 15 wickets from 7 games which included a five-wicket haul against Kerala. Post, his outstanding white-ball return, Sayan was included in the Ranji Trophy squad for the final two games of the season.
After his remarkable resurgence in domestic cricket, Sportz Point sat with the 32-year-old pacer to sense his thoughts.
Talking about his return to the Bengal team, Sayan started the conversation by saying, "It is always a pleasure to represent Bengal. And there is nothing as sweet as a comeback when you are down and about to lose. Performing well for the team feels great."
Ex-KKR pacer Sayan Ghosh in action for @Mohun_Bagan
Sayan feels, along with doing well for Mohun Bagan in the club format, the Bengal Pro T20 League has helped him be in the best form possible.
"I must say, performance in BPL gave me confidence," Sayan told Sportz Point.
"I didn’t take too much pressure for the whole season because I knew if I did well, I would play. I had belief in myself. Captain Sudip (Gharami), coaches Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da and Maco (Shib Shankar Paul) da gave confidence. So, I didn’t take a lot of pressure."
Sayan Ghosh during a club match for Mohun Bagan. Image | Sportz Point
A few seasons back, Sayan had a longer run-up which caused him a few injuries. But, post the 2022 season, he shortened his run-up to avoid such injuries which helped him gain more control. Keeping this in mind, Sportz Point wanted to know if he had done anything special to prepare for this grand comeback.
However, as per Sayan, he just kept doing the basic things over and over to get better at everything. "I do lots of fitness work and spot bowling. It helps me a lot," Sayan added while answering the question.
Regardless of how, for a sportsperson, a comeback is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical battle. Back in 2022, in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point, Sayan shared that "rejections do not deject him."
But, saying that and actually having that mental strength are two different things altogether. For Sayan, it was all about being present and believing in God.
"There comes a time in every sportsman's life when they stop worrying about the outcome, trust in God, and fully immerse themselves in the process. So, that was my thinking just to be in the present and wait for my turn," Sayan expressed.
During tough periods like these, players always get some people clapping and cheering for them. For Sayan, along with his family, there were a few people, who guided and supported him throughout the process.
"Maco da (Shib Shankar Paul) and Kanchan (Maity) da gave me chances in BPL And Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da helped me and gave me a chance to come back in Bengal Cricket."
"I must say about Akash da, one of my colleagues in my office, who is a very good bowler himself. He supported me in every aspect of my life. I think without his support, I could not have made the come back like that," Sayan stated.
Age? Not a problem
Sayan Ghosh before a club match for Mohun Bagan. Image | Sportz Point
But, in this process of being in and out of the team, Sayan has reached an age where most cricketers start to reach the end of their careers. But, not all.
Cricketers like Scott Boland have proved that, if you can keep putting in the hard work, even as a fast bowler you can debut and play at the highest level even after 30. Sayan believes that too.
"Hope keeps us alive. I don’t think a lot about the outcome. But, when you have a goal to achieve something big in your professional career, you always stay motivated," the 32-year-old shared.
"There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and about to lose. If you are thinking about a comeback, you have to keep pushing the boundaries. I have small targets to do well in club cricket and give Mohunbagan trophies. I want to make a strong impact in Bengal Cricket in every format."
Sayan Ghosh bowling in a club match. Image | Sportz Point
Now, after a great white-ball return, Sayan Ghosh wants to don the whites for Bengal again. Amidst all the success around white-ball cricket, his love for red-ball cricket remained the same; like a 10-year-old with a new ball in hand.
"We are playing well in all formats, especially in the Ranji trophy. It was unfortunate for us not to qualify despite playing well in the group stages. The Bihar match and the Kerala match were gone because of the rain and that was the reason (we could not qualify).
"The last time I played a Ranji Trophy game was in 2017. I have played 6 matches and got two five-wicket hauls. However, because of certain team combinations, I haven't played red-ball cricket in a long time now.
"My belief is always there to make a strong comeback in red ball cricket."
Bengal Ranji Team in Last Three Seasons: 13 opening combinations, 22 debutants and many more numbers
Bengal Ranji Team since playing the final in 2022-23 season has not been able to reach the knockouts in last two occasions. Here are the numbers to look out from the last three seasons.
Since winning the Ranji Trophy in the 1989-90 season, when a player named Sourav Ganguly debuted for them in the final, Bengal have not been able to win the domestic title till now. From 2005 to 2007 they dominated the domestic circuit but came second twice in two seasons.
The last time they played in the Ranji Trophy knockouts was in the 2022-23 season when they lost against Saurashtra on their turf in Kolkata.
Post that final at Eden Gardens, two seasons have gone by and Bengal's quest for another Ranji Trophy title continued. In the 2024-25 season, they even failed to make it to the knockouts after average performances in the red ball format despite having a few national team players in action for them.
Despite winning the final league match vs Punjab, Bengal failed to qualify for the knockouts of Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Image | CAB
In the last few years, Bengal Cricket have been accused of multiple issues such as a lack of home-grown talents, reports of age frauds and outstation players finding it easier to make themselves local players, reports of corruption in the second division and many more.
Today, we will not cater to those areas of Bengal cricket. Rather, we will have a deep analysis of what has happened within the team.
We will dig deep into numbers to analyze and discuss what might have gone wrong in the last three seasons for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.
Keep in mind, that we have only taken the Ranji Trophy format and data into consideration. We will discuss the white-ball numbers in a different article soon.
Numbers and More: Bengal Ranji Team in Last Three Seasons
Here are a few findings from the last three seasons of the Bengal Ranji Team, collected by Sportz Point via BCCI.tv and ESPNCricinfo.
#1 | 13 opening combinations in three seasons
Ankit Chatterjee during his debut game in Kalyani.
This has been the main pain point for Bengal in the last few seasons; the opening slot. Though they have the services of one of the Best domestic players in Abhimanyu Easwaran, they have found it hard to find a suitable partner for him.
Moreover, whenever Easwaran goes to any National team duty or India-A games, Bengal have not been able to replace him as well.
In the last three seasons, Bengal have gone for as many as 13 opening combinations. In the 2024-25 season, they had 4 different opening combinations. In the 2023-24 season, the number was 3 and in the 2022-23 season, the number was 6.
From the above list, it is quite obvious that Laxmi Ratan Shukla and the management have not been able to find a great opening pair which can last for a whole season.Though Sudip Kumar Gharami started as an opener, since he settled in at number three, Bengal has tried to use him only in that position.
Only the pair of Sourav Paul & Shreyansh Ghosh got five matches in a row in 2023-24 and the rest of them did not get that many consecutive matches to open as a pair. Yes, the availability of Abhimanyu Easwaran made that a bit tough as well.
Sumit Mohanta was the latest player to make debut for Bengal in first-class cricket. Image | CAB
Bengal team management gave first-class debut caps to as many as 22 players in the last three seasons, which largely speaks about the inconsistency this team has had.
Even if we clear out the accusations of having "club quotas" in less important games, we have a few interesting numbers to present.
In the last three seasons, only Manoj Tiwary retired from all forms of cricket and we had Wriddhiman Saha and Sudip Chatterjee moving to Tripura to play first-class cricket. Besides that, players like Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep constantly stay busy with the national team setup.
Now, if you calculate the number of injuries to players like Ishan Porel and Shahbaz Ahmed, along with the different demands of the first-class arena, 22 debutants is a large number which can point to many distinct sections of the selection process.
Regardless of many arising questions in the Kolkata Club Cricket section, all of these 22 players performed quite well in Club cricket and age-level cricket to earn those selections. But, surely, the team combinations lacked consistency.
Players who made first-class debuts in the last three seasons for Bengal
#3 | 8 debutants played only one game in the last three seasons
Subham Chatterjee is one of those 8 debutants who played only one game in last three seasons. Image | CAB
When any team select any player, there is something they see beyond the numbers. Numbers matter but the experience and gut feeling of those selectors matter more.
But, in the case of Bengal, we have seen a lack of faith in those talents. 8 out of those 22 debutants played only one game in a season. If you discount the debuts of Sumit Mohanta and Vishal Bhati, who debuted in the last game of this season, the number is six.
Below are the players who played only one game after making debuts for Bengal in first-class since the 2022-23 season -
#4 | 17 players played two or fewer matches since the 2022-23 season
Habib Gandhi is another player who did not get a chance post his debut. Image | CAB
Here arises the question of consistency again. It might be the case of selectors or team management moving from one player to another quickly or players not impressing them enough in two games. But, a staggering17 players have played two or fewer first-class matches in the last three seasons.
Again, we should cut the names of Ankit Chatterjee, Sumit Mohanta and Vishal Bhati from the consideration since they made debuts in the last two or final games of this current season.
Players to have played two or fewer matches in the last three seasons
Sudip Gharami and Anustup Majumdar batting together in Bengal vs Baroda 2022-23 Ranji Trophy match in Kalyani.
If we take out the numbers of Bengal's top order batters, only Anustup Majumdar,Sudip Kumar Gharami and Abhimanyu Easwaran have scored the most runs for them in the last three seasons.
Bengal played the Ranji Trophy final in the 2022-23 season when all three scored more than 700 runs in a season, which was pivotal to Bengal's success. Shahbaz Ahmed and Abishek Porel played a few fighting knocks down the order for them, but that has not been good enough to turn the tables so far.
However, in the last two seasons, both Anustup and Gharami have not been able to continue that form and that was visible in the Bengal's results column.
Bengal players with the most runs in the last three seasons
2024-25
Sudip Chatterjee - 441 at 55.12
Sudip Gharami - 331 at 41.37
Anustup Majumdar - 228 at 28.50
2023-24
Anustup Majumdar 510 at 63.75
Abishek Porel 377 at 41.88
Abhimanyu Easwaran 337 at 168.50
2022-23
Anustup Majumdar 867 at 61.92
Sudip Gharami 803 at 50.18
Abhimanyu Easwaran 798 at 66.50
#6 | Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal - The Lone Warrior
Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal has been Bengal's highest wicket-taker in last two Ranji Trophy Seasons. | Image - CAB
Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal has been Bengal's only shining star in the last two seasons since making his debut in the 2023-24 season. The medium pacer took advantage of Ishan Porel's injury and the absence of Indian stars like Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar and came out as Bengal's best performer.
Jaiswal took 31 wickets in 6 games in his first season and followed that up with 29 scalps in the next season. In both seasons, he was the highest wicket-taker for Bengal.
Not only that, he also scored his maiden first-class ton this season, showing his all-round skill.
Other than him, no Bengal player could make a name for himself in the last two seasons. Do not be surprised if Suraj gets a maiden India-A call-up soon as well.
Most wickets for Bengal since Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal's debut
2024-25
Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal 6 matches 29 wickets
Mohammed Kaif 5 matches 17 wicktes
2023-24
Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal 6 matches 31 wickets
Mohammed Kaif 6 matches 17 wickets
What future holds for Bengal Ranji Team?
Bengal Ranji Trophy captain Anustup Majumdar and head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla during a practice session. Image | CAB
There is no doubt that Bengal has one of their greatest players Laxmi Ratan Shukla as their head coach. But, with too many changes and chops within the team, it is high time that the team management shows faith in homegrown talents and gives them a long run at a first-class level.
However, the most important thing would be that players raise their hands and perform at the domestic level. Players like Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal can be exemplary for them to learn and turn opportunities into success.