Shrayosi Aich bags 3 as Murshidabad Kueens win in Women’s Bengal Pro T20 League
Shrayosi Aich was adjudged the player of the match for her 3/16 in the first inning which helped Murshidabad Kueens beat Srachi Rarh Tigers in the Women's Bengal Pro T20 League 2024.
Shrayosi Aich bagged an impressive 3 for 16 along with Sneha Gupta (2-20) as Murshidabad Kueens beat Shrachi Rarh Tigers by 8 wickets in the Women’s Bengal Pro T20 League 2024 at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus on Wednesday.
While Shrayosi and Sneha were superb with the ball, Sandipta Patra scored an unbeaten 44 to take the team over the line.
Batting first, Shrachi Rarh Tigers managed only 84/9 in 20 overs. In reply, Murshidabad Kueens chased it down scoring 85/2 in 18 overs.
Earlier, opting to bat, Shrachi Rarh Tigers got off to a cautious start. After the dismissal of top-scorer Ankita Chakraborty (26), wickets tumbled in quick time to put a check on the scoring.
Bengal Cricket Exclusive: Inspired by Anustup Majumdar's journey, Sumanta Gupta wants to achieve bigger things for Bengal
Sumanta Gupta, at 35, is still scoring runs for his club Barisha Sporting Club in C.A.B First Division League. The middle order batter shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.
Imagine working hard for nearly 20 years, enduring pain, sacrifices, and challenges, only to finally see your dream come true but not being able to hold onto it for long. What would you do next?
What would you do after that?
Option one: you break down and never look at that dream again. Option two: You rise and chase down the dream once again.
Sumanta Gupta received his First-class debut cap from Manoj Tiwary. Image | C.A.B
Sumanta had only one choice that day. To leave his favourite batting order and open for Bengal. That did not work out that well for him. But he knew life was not always fair.
Return to Bengal team for 2024-25 season
Sumanta scored 55 in his return to first-class cricket. Image | C.A.B
But, unlike others, Sumanta Gupta did not complain, and he did not try to give any excuses. He returned to doing what he does best: scoring runs at the club level. Heap of runs in club cricket and Sumanta was called back Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal.
After some valuable contributions in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Sumanta played his second first-class game against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. At Eden Gardens, where he could not handle a firing Saurasthra bowling attack, Sumanta closed the circle by scoring a 55 at his favourite number five position.
Now, after another man-of-the-match performance to take Barisha Sporting Club into the quarterfinals of the C.A.B First Division Championship Playoffs, Sumanta Gupta feels he is blooming late but fine.
"Vijay Hazare trophy gave me confidence:" Sumanta
Sumanta Gupta with coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla during a training session. Image | C.A,B
But, even after two years, does that Ranji Trophy final hurt him?
"You cannot live in the past. The final is gone now. I have lots of things to achieve and win for Bengal cricket," Sumanta Gupta told Sportz Point in an exclusive interview.
"The Vijay Hazare Trophy has given me a lot of confidence and faith in myself. I was able to contribute to Bengal's success in tough situations. This has given me great confidence," Gupta added.
Playing at his favourite number five position
Sumanta Gupta going for a cut shot in a club game. | Image - C.A.B
For Gupta, playing in his favourite number five position has helped him a lot this time. He has always played in the middle order in club cricket, and playing in the middle order helped him control the game the way he wanted.
"Firstly, a big thank you to Ruku da (Anustup Majumdar), Sudip (Gharami) and Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da for trusting me again and allowing me to play in the middle order. I hope that I was able to prove myself in the opportunities I got," the man from Birbhum expressed.
After all of this, he is still disappointed for getting a ton in the Ranji Trophy game against Punjab, where he got out on 55.
Sumanta recieving a Man of the match award after a club game between Barisha Sporting and Rajasthan Club. Image | C.A.B
But, at 35, how much has he got left in his tank?
Well, Sumanta has an inspiration to look at in his Bengal dressing room, if he ever needs some motivation. Anustup Majumdar, another later bloomer in Bengal cricket, who saved Bengal enormous times and went on to lead Bengal in the Ranji Trophy after turning 40, is an inspiration to Sumanta.
"First of all, as you know, age does not matter to me. I am still fit. Getting run-outs, catching well and running hard between the wickets."
"You have to expect the things God has given you. It does not matter that I bloom late; I have plenty left in me. Look at Ruku (Anustup Majumdar) da, he is an inspiration for all late bloomers like me."
"Ruku (Anustup Majumdar) da tells me that batters mature after 30, and I feel the same thing is happening with me," Sumanta shared.
Sumanta after scoring a hundred in a club match. Image | C.A.B
Just like many other middle-order batters in Bengal, Sumanta, too, had to wait long to get a chance in the middle order. Because there was someone like Manoj Tiwary performing day in and day out for Bengal. But, with Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha retiring, can he fill their boots?
"Replacing someone like Manoj Tiwary is not easy. But, when Manoj (Tiwary) da himself motivates and guides me, it becomes easier. The last time we met, Manoj da told me that if I worked hard and stayed fit, I could win matches for Bengal. Things like this give me confidence," Sumanta stated.
"Super League helped me become more mature"
But, saying one thing and scoring consistently for your team, are not the same things. According to Sumanta, the Super League structure in Kolkata Club Cricket has helped him prepare better for tougher situations.
"I feel the Super League has made everyone better. This structure allows you to play against stronger teams more often than not. This has made me a better and more mature batter in the last few seasons," Sumanta told Sportz Point.
Bengal Cricket Exclusive | "Teams sign us to help them win trophies:" Subham Chatterjee after a double ton in CAB first-division pre-quarter-final match
Subham Chatterjee scored 200 from 275 balls against Sporting Union to help Kalighat Club qualify for the quarter-finals of the C.A.B First Division League Qualifier & Championship Play-offs.
Subham Chatterjee is a name that has been floating in Bengal cricket for a long now. Performances in U19 and U23 level had given him a stamp of being the "next big thing" in Bengal cricket.
But, at 29 years of age, the stylish middle-order batter from Asansol has only played one first-class match so far. After his another double ton in a knockout match for Kalighat, Subham now feels he is ready for the bigger stages.
Subham scored 200 from 275 balls against Sporting Union to help them qualify for the quarter-finals of the First Division League Qualifier & Championship Play-offs.
What's the secret of big scores in knockouts?
Subham Chatterjee during a club game. Image | CAB
This was Subham's second double ton in a knockout match in the last three seasons. The middle-order batter always had the knack of scoring in big games for Kalighat. But what is the reason behind that?
The answer is better preparation, Subham told Sportz Point.
"Although I take every game as a normal one, I prepare more for a knockout match," Subham shared with Sportz Point in an exclusive interview.
"From childhood, I knew one thing, if you perform well in a knockout game, you will get noticed. Teams sign players like us to win them big games, and I feel preparing that extra bit for a knockout game helps me do better in these kinds of matches," he added.
Can he fill Manoj Tiwary's gap?
Subham during a club game for Kalighat against East Bengal in 2022-23 season.
In the last decade, Bengal had a strong middle order comprising Manoj Tiwary, Anustup Majumdar, and Wriddhiman Saha, which made it tough for young batters like Subham to find a place in the team.
But, after the retirement of Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha, there is a void in the batting lineup which Subham feels he can surely try to fill up.
"There are many middle-order batters like me who are fighting for that place in the middle order. I think I am mature enough as a batter now and ready to take my game to a higher level."
"Obviously, you can not replace a giant of the game like Manoj Tiwary. But surely, if we can help teams win, I feel we will be doing good, " Subham shared.
Meantime, Subham knows it won't be easy for him to straightway get into the team. For that, he now only wants to focus on the controllables and do what is in his hands.
Subham after a hundred in a club game. Image | CAB
To help him in his progress, Subham this season got the guidance of Anustup Majumdar and Manoj Tiwary, with whom he is sharing the Kalighat dressing room this season. Both the Bengal stars along with Shahbaz Nadeem signed for Kalighat to play this season, which helped him grow as a player.
"Having both Manoj (Tiwary) da and Ruku da (Anustup Majumdar) in the dressing room helps a lot. Because, each day, you are watching them preparing for a game. And, you can learn a lot of things just by observing them."
"Their work ethics is something I want to incorporate into my game, which I believe, surely can help me be consistent for a longer time," Subham expressed.
Three seasons back, Kalighat was demoted to the B Group of First division cricket in Kolkata Club Cricket. From then, they not only came up the ranks but went on to win the First Division Championship as well.
In the last three seasons, they have gone on to win 1 Championship trophy and became runners-up in three tournaments. In this whole journey, Subham was an integral part of the Kalighat club.
"Kalighat made me a more mature cricketer"
Subham had joined the club as a youngster but in these vital years for the Kalighat Club, he has matured into a solid cricketer. Not only that, he also went on to lead the club as well, which was one of the most prestigious moments for the batter.
"I have been lucky enough to see this entire progress of the club and be a part of it. I was fortunate to lead the team as well."
"These seasons have made me mature as a player, and I feel this maturity has given me composure to do well in tough games," Subham told Sportz Point.
Kalighat will face either of Aryan Club or Town Club in the quarter-final, starting from 18th April, 2025.
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.
"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.
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