Cricket season kicks off with fresh talent and renewed spirit
After an impressive debut season, the Kolkata Tigers are back with fresh energy and fierce ambition in the second edition of the Bengal Pro T20 League, which kicked off yesterday at Eden Gardens.
Representing Kolkata and Hooghly, the franchise continues to champion excellence and unity in Bengal cricket.
With a strong mix of experience and emerging talent, the team has retained key players while adding new faces to both the Men's and Women's squads. Wicketkeeper-batsman Abishek Porel returns as captain of the Men's team, while all-rounder Mita Paul once again leads the Women's side. Coaching duties remain in seasoned hands, with Shib Sankar Paul and Charanjit Singh Nair heading the Men's and Women's teams respectively.
Matches will be held at Eden Gardens and the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus Grounds, with live coverage available on TV and digital platforms. League mentors Sourav Ganguly and
Jhulan Goswami
bring star power and strategic depth to the tournament.
As the season unfolds, the Tigers invite fans to rally behind them in a celebration of local talent and cricketing passion — aiming not just for wins, but for a lasting impact on the state's sporting future.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Hmar questions AIFF's volte-face in its submission to CAS
The chairperson of the League Committee said he was 'thoroughly disappointed' that the AIFF made every attempt to undermine the importance of the League Committee in its submission to CAS Panaji: Chairperson of the All India Football Federation's League Committee and Mizoram sports minister, Lalnghinglova Hmar, has sought clarifications after being left 'confused and disappointed' at the federation's 'vacillating stands on the legal battle between a few I-League clubs,' involving the re-registration of Inter Kashi forward Mario Barco. It was the League Committee that allowed the re-registration of Barco after the AIFF's competitions department had turned down Inter Kashi. The Spanish forward was initially registered before the league kicked off, but suffered an injury in December, leading to his replacement by Matija Babovic. Two months later, Kashi re-registered Barco as a replacement for Juan Perez del Pino, who had mutually terminated his contract with the club. Three clubs – Churchill Brothers, Namdhari FC and Delhi FC – lodged a protest and later filed an appeal with the AIFF Appeals Committee, which they won. The ruling was, however, set aside by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 'I am afraid to say the AIFF failed to take a definite stand on the subject,' Hmar wrote in a letter to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey on Wednesday. 'AIFF's vacillating stands on the legal battle between a few I-League clubs led to the unusual development of the I-League title being decided in the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland for the first time in Indian football history,' he added. Popularly known as Tetea, the man credited with transforming football in Mizoram said the way AIFF handled the entire issue threatened to dismantle the fabric and the long-standing tradition of India's domestic football. 'When the matter went to the AIFF appeal committee on April 30, 2025, the AIFF's submission stated that the Inter Kashi footballer was allowed to be re-registered by the League Committee, which has the necessary jurisdiction and constitutional authority to do so. Surprisingly, the AIFF did a complete volte-face in its submission to the CAS, in which it not only belittled its own league committee, but went on to explain at length that the league committee doesn't have the authority to allow the said footballer to play. 'The difference of opinion between the two submissions is so stark and glaring that it makes it hard to believe that they were made by the same party in less than three and a half months,' said Hmar, adding that it also gives rise to unnecessary suspicion that the AIFF's complete change of stance was driven by reasons that could hamper the neutrality of the national federation. The chairperson also put on record that he was 'thoroughly disappointed' that the AIFF made every attempt to undermine the importance of the League Committee in its submission to CAS. 'The league committee is one of the standing committees of the AIFF, constituted and approved by the executive committee. To say this committee 'lacked the authority to render any final and binding clarification or opinion' is absolutely shocking and is like an attempt to erode and sabotage its own authority. So much so, the AIFF secretariat didn't even bother to table the decision of the League Committee in the executive committee meeting for approval,' said Hmar. Inter Kashi were announced as champions after CAS overturned two decisions by the AIFF Appeals Committee, a first for Indian football.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
AIFF technical panel backs Khalid Jamil for India coach job; Stephen Constantine, Stefan Tarkovic also in three-man shortlist
Khalid Jamil PANAJI: The technical committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has recommended Khalid Jamil as its top choice to fill the national coach vacancy, following the resignation of Manolo Marquez. Should Jamil get the nod from the AIFF's executive committee, he will become the first Indian as full-time coach since Sukhvinder Singh in 2005. Two other Indians – Armando Colaco and Savio Medeira –held interim charges, following the sacking of Bob Houghton in 2011. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We had lot of applications, and after careful scrutiny, the technical committee has recommended three names to the executive committee,' AIFF's national team director Subrata Paul told TOI after the technical committee meeting on Wednesday. 'We believe in the potential of these three coaches. They can take our national team forward.' Poll Which candidate do you believe has the best chance of improving Indian football? Khalid Jamil Stephen Constantine Stefan Tarkovic Stephen Constantine, hoping for a third stint with the national team after winning four trophies in the past, is the second name on the list, while former Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan coach Stefan Tarkovic has also been shortlisted. 'All coaches have their own strong points. Khalid has done extremely well in the I-League and Indian Super League (ISL). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ngadirojo: New Container Houses – Take A Look At The Prices! Container homes | Search ads Learn More Undo Constantine knows Indian football inside out and India played well at the Asian Cup in 2019. Tarkovic has a good national team experience, after stints with Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan,' said another official. The technical committee has backed Jamil for the top job, given his record in domestic football. Despite limited resources, the former India midfielder won the I-League with Aizawl FC, scripting one of Indian football's most remarkable stories in 2017. He then caught everyone's attention with semifinal spots in the ISL with NorthEast and Jamshedpur FC, a side he continues to coach. 'The AIFF will now speak with the coaches and look at their (salary) demands. If Khalid agrees to the terms, he will get the India job,' said another official. Besides the technical committee, Khalid has also got the backing of Dronacharya Award winners, Armando Colaco and Bimal Ghosh, both of whom were consulted as advisors to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey. According to sources, Constantine too has support within the committee, chaired by former India captain IM Vijayan. India went from 173 to 97 in FIFA rankings between 2015 and 2018 when Constantine was at the helm of affairs. The English coach, who last managed Pakistan, won four trophies with the national team: LG Cup (2002), SAFF Cup (2015), Tri Nation Series (2017) and Inter-Continental Cup (2018). From the 170 who applied for the national team job, the list was pruned to 20 and presented before the technical committee which met virtually on Wed. National team director Subrata Paul and technical director Syed Sabir Pasha also attended the meeting. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Khalid, Renedy among three men in contention for next India coach
Former India internationals Khalid Jamil and Renedy Singh are two of the three individuals in contention for the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) next senior team head coach. The post has been vacant after Manolo Marquez mutually parted ways with the side earlier this month. The AIFF had received 163 applications for the top job; the number was eventually trimmed to 20—10 Indians and 10 foreigners—by the National team director Subrata Paul. While the list of foreigners included Australian Harry Kewell, former Tajikistan head coach Petar Šegrt, and Englishman Stephen Constantine, the Indian applicants included Sanjoy Sen, Shanmugam Venkatesh, and Shankarlal Chakraborty. On July 23, the list was presented to the members of the Technical Committee, with an option to vote for their top three. There were suggestions from some attendees, including Subrata, to reinstate Constantine—a coach under whom India had bettered its FIFA rankings from 173 to 97 between 2015 and 2018. The argument in favour of the Englishman was to have him on a contract until India's next Asian Cup qualifier—against Singapore on October 9—and then decide on a long-term solution. Former India coach Stephen Constantine with Sunil Chhetri during the 2018 Hero Intercontinental Cup. | Photo Credit: PRASHANT NAKWE/The Hindu The Executive Committee is expected to come up with the confirmed name soon. READ: East Bengal coach Bruzon: Foreigners Figueira, Sibille not available for Durand Cup opener Renedy played 72 times for India between 1998 and 2011 and was part of the team that won the SAFF Championship (2005, 2011), Nehru Cup (2007, 2009), and AFC Challenge Cup (2008). He moved to coaching after retirement in 2015 and is currently the assistant coach of Bengaluru FC. He has formerly been the coach of I-League side NEROCA FC and also served as the interim head coach of East Bengal in the 2021-22 campaign. Renedy Singh during his time as the interim coach of SC East Bengal. | Photo Credit: Vipin Pawar/Focus Sports/ ISL Under Renedy, East Bengal fielded an all-Indian eleven against Jamshedpur, a first in the ISL. He had also been the president of the Football Players Association of India for nearly a decade since 2014, before Mehrajuddin Wadoo took over this year. Meanwhile, Jamil, a former Mumbai FC teammate of AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, has created a reputation for delivering positive results with limited resources. In 2017, he helped Aizawl—a club that earned promotion from the second division a year prior—win the I-League, orchestrating one of the greatest underdog stories in Indian football. ALSO READ: Former India international Aditi Chauhan to mentor Mumbai-based Warriorz FC Later, he took NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC to the semifinals, and the latter to the Super Cup final last season. Khalid Jamil had been approached for the job of India Under-23 head coach earlier. | Photo Credit: Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / FSDL It is understood that Jamshedpur—Jamil's current employer—has already had discussions with the AIFF. Sources close to the club have indicated that since the Indian Super League is not starting until late this year, JFC feels releasing him for the national team in the October window would barely affect the club's season. Earlier, Jamil was approached for a job as the coach of the under-23 side, one that did not materialise as he was contracted with Jamshedpur until 2026. However, if and when the future of ISL is ascertained, the Men of Steel would look for a potential replacement in Owen Coyle, under whom Jamshedpur won the league title in 2022.
