Ex Bengal star arises question on team selection of Bengal Cricket Team
Pratyusha Jana For the last two cricket seasons, winning has seemed like a far cry for the Bengal cricket team. The continuous deterioration, while evident, has been distressing for both spectators and professionals alike. Over these last two seasons, the team has failed to secure any major domestic cricket trophy. In the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, Bengal produced mixed results and could not secure a place in the knockouts. The tournament also saw a humiliating defeat for Bengal against Haryana by 283 runs. Reflecting on this situation, former cricketer and coach Sambaran Banerjee spoke exclusively to Parallel Sports. He highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the Bengal team during the Vijay Hazare Trophy and also shared his views on the Ranji season. While discussing the team’s shortcomings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he pointed out the absence of an aggressive batter in the middle order. He said, “I must say, there were a few inadequacies in the player selection for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Bengal needs a player at No. 5 or No. 6 who can hit freely—someone who can score quickly, use fewer balls, and still contribute valuable runs to the team. A player who can make something like 42 off 20 balls.” Reflecting on the Ranji Trophy loss, Banerjee stated, “We need unity within the team while performing in a major tournament. Maybe the lack of unity has affected the team. The players should focus more on collective strength rather than individual stance.” He also emphasized the positive aspects of the team’s performance in this year’s Ranji Trophy. He stated, “We have almost the Indian bowling lineup in our team.” He further praised Shahbaz Ahmed, saying, “One player who has been consistent throughout the tournaments is Shahbaz. He has been a driving force for the team, and we need more players like him.” With the Ranji Trophy just around the corner, Banerjee, despite all the odds, chose to believe in the squad. He remains optimistic about the team’s prospects. He concluded, “We know there are a few shortcomings, but we shouldn’t lose faith in our team. I think they will deliver a good result in this tournament.”
Sukhen Dey dies only at 35 on Friday!
Sukhen Dey, a left-back who earned prominence, wearing Prayag United SC (Now United Sports) in 2011 and played regularly for the team for three consecutive seasons, died of a massive heart attack on Friday on duty at his Eastern Railway office. His age was only 35 years! Sukhen made his debut in the I-League against Sporting Clube De Goa in 2011, and then he did not look back. In the next three seasons, the defender participated in 26 first-class matches for the team. Then Sukhen switched over to Mohun Bagan’s I-League-winning squad in 2014-2015. They had played under the guidance of Sanjoy Sen in both United SC and Mohun Bagan in 2014-15. The grief-stricken coach, while remembering Dey, said on Friday, “I am stunned. He was very thin, not at all like a typical defender in appearance. But under my guidance in United SC, Sukhen had a tremendous performance against East Bengal in a match. The Australian forward, Tolgey Ozbey, was made ‘completely disabled’ by Sukhen. He stopped Tolgey’s down-the-flanks run. Sukhen had an excellent sense of the game.” Nabab Bhattacharya, also stunned with the news, said, “He played for us from the youth level. He was scouted by late Subhas Bhowmick. We were amazed to have seen his football sense despite lacking a typical defender’s physique.”
Howrah-Hooghly Warriors earn convincing victory against FC Mednipur
Howrah-Hooghly Warriors, in their debut match in the inaugural Bengal Super League (BSL) trounced FC Mednipur 3-1 at the Howrah Shailen Manna Stadium on Tuesday. The team were trailing by a goal in the first half. Sudip Kumar scored for FC Mednipur. Howrah-Hooghly Warriors, guided by Jose Ramerez Bareto bounced back after the break. Paolo Cezar struck twice for the winners while Koustav Dutta scored one.
North 24 Parganas start their campaign in style; Sundarban Bengal Auto FC win too
North 24 Parganas started their campaign IN THE inaugural Bengal Super League (BSL), trouncing Copa Tigers Birbhum 4-0 at Naihati Stadium on Monday. Tanmoy Ghosh, Mrimoy Mahapatra, and Kuntal Pakhihara. Coach of North 24 Parganas Gautam Ghosh said in his post-match media briefings, “The boys did not get much time for preparation. Additionally, several players who played today were newcomers. So, considering the perspective, I am satisfied with their performance.” When asked whether BSL would contribute to the development of football in Bengal, Ghosh, the head of IFA’s youth development program, added, “Time will reply to the question ultimately. But I can say, the players are getting more game-time with the introduction of this League, which is expected to help them.” In another match, Sundarban Bengal Auto FC earned full points in their opening match of the League, edging past Burdwan Blasters by 2-1 at Bolpur Stadium on Monday. Richmond and Aqueeb struck for the winners. Sundarban Bengal Auto FC Chief coach Mehtab Hussain lamented the poor ground conditions at the venue. “The ground was hard, had an uneven bounce. It was difficult for the boys to exhibit ‘good football’. Still, I am happy with three points,” said Mehtab. Significantly, BSL has introduced six-referee posting for a match where two referees are posted beside the two goalposts. Their job will be to detect ‘penalty-area’ movements and any dispute in the penalty area.
Is BCCI planning to deduct Rs 2 Crore each from Virat and Rohit’s salaries?
There is a buzz already floating in the country’s cricket fraternity that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling over deduction of Rs 2 crore each from the annual salaries of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma! The central contracts for players across 4 categories annually. These contracts are the official retainers that bind the nation’s elite cricketers to the national team. The nature of the contract and the remuneration that comes with it, however, depend upon the contribution of the player in the three formats of the game. The BCCI last awarded the central contracts to its players in April 2025, but the news of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma facing a pay cut in the next cycle has already started buzzing. The central contracts are a carefully calibrated mechanism designed to reward performance, incentives for participation, especially in the Test format, while also maintaining the highest standards of professionalism within the squad. The BCCI’s contract system is divided into four distinct grades — A+, A, B, and C — each carrying a fixed annual salary, known as the retainership. This amount is paid to the player regardless of how many matches they play throughout the year, standing separate from their match-fee earnings. The allocation of grades, however, is an annual exercise undertaken by the BCCI, working in close consultation with the selection committee, head coach and the team captain. Here’s how the grades are decided: Placed in the A+ category at present, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma may be demoted to ‘A’ category as they are no longer active players in the Test and T-20I format. Rabindra Jadeja retired from T20Is too, might remain in the A+ category as he is still an active member of India’s Test team. If Kohli and Rohit do get dropped to the A category, they would each earn Rs 2 crore less in the ‘A contract’ (Rs 5 crore), in comparison to the ‘A+ contract’ (Rs 7 crore).
Howrah-Hooghly Warriors FC sets its eyes on playing in the CFL and then in the elite I-League
Sudeep Pakrashi: Howrah-Hooghly Warriors FC, one of the debutants in the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL), are unlikely to be content satisfied only through participating in the BSL. Rather, the franchise team have set eyes on playing in the IFA-organised CFL and also a qualification for the elite I-League within the next couple of years! Deep Dey, the General Manager of the club, when asked about their plans for the future, revealed, “Our vision is to earn qualification for the elite I-League within the next four to five years, starting from the I-League Third Division. Not only that, our aim will be to build-up a team for the I-League consisting of 90 per cent footballers from the Howrah-Hooghly area.” Simultaneously, he divulged, “Initiatives have been taken to get affiliation from the IFA as well as Howrah DSA to field our team in the CFL First Division. We will also get affiliation from the Howrah DSA so that our boys can play in the district competitions.” The franchise, which has roped in Jose Ramirez Bareto as the team’s chief coach, is also in the process of finding land in the Hooghly area to build a residential football school in future. “Our project will have a non-residential coaching program also initially unless the needed infrastructure for the residential project gets developed.” The team, which has already registered 25 footballers, is likely to rope in two more foreigners, out of whom one is expected to come from Brazil, and the other foreign footballer who participated in the Kerala Super League. The team have been training under Barreto and assistant coaches Suman Dutta and Sanjay Palandar for the past month. The franchise has signed Brazilian Paulo Cezar as its first foreign player. Howrah-Hooghly Warriors will start their campaign, playing a home match at Howrah Shailen Manna stadium against FC Medinipur on 16th December.
Sundarban Bengal Auto FC: Unavailability of ground causes delay in preparation: Local talents impress Mehtab and Asim
MD Nijam Uddin Laskar is a successful businessman based in Baruipur, South 24 Parganas. Out of passion for football, Laskar used to make investments in building up teams for the ‘masala matches’ which used to be played around the districts. The 40-year-old businessman expresses his gratitude to former India international Mehtab Hossain for insisting on his joining the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL) as one of the franchise owners. So, Nizam Uddin and a couple of his friends initiated the foundation of a private limited company, Bengal Sports & Entertainment. Under the company’s banner, Sundarban Bengal Auto FC has been formed. The franchise has already registered 33 footballers. Among them, four foreigners will be recruited. One Ghanaian defender, Solomon, has already joined the team. Negotiations are on with two Brazilian and a Senegalese footballer. But Nizam revealed, “We were late in the team-building process. That is why we were getting a proper training ground, and we were even in a dilemma about selecting our home match in the BSL. We got a training ground finally near Baruipur, but that was a nine-sided ground and not up to the mark.” Chief coach Mehtab Hossain also had the same opinion as he commented, “We do not have a proper ground for training. Initiatives are underway to conduct a one-week preparatory camp on a better ground around in Kolkata before the League.” Still, he made noticeable appreciations for the local talents, already roped in for the franchise. “Around 10 local footballers have been recruited. I observed them for only a couple of days. But they are very promising. Especially, there is one boy named Sahil. He looked highly talented considering the basics of the game. If these boys are provided proper directions and are nurtured mentally, then they will grow a lot.” Return of another former India international, Asim Biswas, to the team as a mentor is also a significant incident. The 45-year-old striker, once called one of the most gifted footballers of Bengal, also had praise for the local talents, who joined the franchise. “The boys need to be nurtured properly, especially in the mental part. They look strong in the basics of the game, and it should be our advantage,” commented Asim. When asked about the team’s performance in the opening year, both Mehtab and Asim expressed the same motive, commenting, “Our aim will be to produce quality football. We cannot expect results from the boys in the opening season after short-term preparation.” Sundarban Auto Bengal FC will play their home match at Caning Stadium, which has a capacity of around 10 thousand spectators. Nizam also revealed that they have plans to develop memberships for the club through branding. “The investment in total will go nearly Rs 2.5 Crores. So, our aim is to earn sponsorships also through branding so that we can also make profits in the second season of the League,” added Nizam.
Bihar polls: Elaborate security measures in place for counting of votes on Nov 14
Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Friday’s counting of votes polled in the Bihar assembly elections, across 46 centres in 38 districts of the state, officials said. Schools in Patna will remain closed on Friday in view of the counting exercise, they said. Bihar had registered a historic voter turnout of 67.13 per cent in the elections to the 243-member assembly in two phases on November 6 and November 11. A total of 7.45 crore voters were eligible to decide the electoral fate of 2,616 candidates. “Counting arrangements have been made in all the 243 assembly constituencies. The exercise will be conducted by 243 Returning Officers in the presence of 243 Counting Observers and the candidates or their agents. “A total of 4,372 counting tables, each staffed with one supervisor, counting assistant and micro-observer have been set up. More than 18,000 Counting Agents appointed by the nominees will also oversee the process,” the Election Commission said in a statement. Counting of votes will commence at 8 am on Friday. “As per the Commission’s directions, postal ballot counting will begin first, and counting of EVMs will start at 8.30 am,” it said. “Adequate number of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and personnel of the Bihar Police have been deployed across the state to ensure smooth counting, and prevent any untoward incident,” a senior officer said. He said 106 companies of security personnel from outside the state have also been deployed. A poll official said EVMs and VVPATs used in the elections have been sealed inside strong rooms under a double-lock system. “A two-tier security has been ensured at the counting centres. While the inner tier has been assigned to the CAPF, state police have been deployed at the outer rung. Besides, 24/7 CCTV surveillance and other security provisions are in place,” he added.
Digital dallying and the 15-second heist: how illegal bots are eating into India’s train reservations
Kolkata — As millions plan end-of-year journeys, a sophisticated underworld of illegal booking software is quietly cornering confirmed rail tickets — often within 15 seconds of the reservation window opening — leaving genuine travellers stranded on long waiting lists.Railway Protection Force (RPF) sources say outlawed programmes with names such as “Brahmas”, “Tesla” and “Doctor Doom” are being deployed by organised operators who create and run multiple IRCTC accounts simultaneously. The software automates the pre-filled passenger details — frequently harvested a day earlier — and auto-submits bookings the moment the online window opens, converting what would be a protracted, manual process into an almost instantaneous confirmation.“The software effectively beats any human at the starting gun,” an RPF official said. “By the time a regular passenger completes the form, the confirmed quota is gone.” The result, passengers complain, is predictable: a rash of e-tickets showing waiting lists a minute or two after sales commence.The monetary incentive is stark. Officials estimate that confirmed tickets fetched through these channels are routinely sold at two to two-and-a-half times their face value. A sleeper ticket costing around ₹800 is reportedly being hawked for nearly ₹2,000; AC fares, especially for higher tiers, attract even steeper premiums. Netizens claim “Doctor Doom” alone has some 50,000 users; insiders say the illicit programmes are leased on a monthly-rental model for as little as ₹2,000–₹2,500, enabling small operators to reap disproportionately large profits.Rail authorities have not been idle. The Railway Ministry has launched measures to curtail the trade, and the RPF has carried out nation-wide drives that have resulted in multiple arrests. Yet officials concede the impact has been limited: new workarounds and the ease of obtaining cloned accounts mean the illegal trade persists.Passengers voice mounting frustration. “I sat with my laptop and mobile for 60 days before Diwali, ready at 8am when the window opened,” said one commuter. “By the time I could fill in the details, the tickets were gone, or worse — I ended up on the waiting list after payment.”Experts warn that unless booking platforms and enforcement agencies coordinate tougher technical safeguards and expand prosecutions, the so-called digital brokerage will continue to thrive — turning India’s public reservation system into fertile ground for an expanding black market just as travel demand peaks for the winter season.
Man arrested with gold biscuits worth Rs 88 lakh near Bangladesh border
A person was arrested with gold biscuits worth Rs 88.34 lakh near the Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the BSF said on Wednesday. Vigil was stepped up at the Hakimpur check post in the Tarali-1 border outpost area on Tuesday on the basis of inputs that gold smuggling could be attempted, it said. The suspect, disguised as a farmer, was intercepted when he was heading towards Swarupdah from Hakimpur Market. A packet wrapped in brown tape was found concealed in a knot of his dress, it added.
