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March 14, 2001. An epochal day in Indian cricket as VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted the entire 90 overs to reverse a follow-on and eventually snap Australia’s 16-Test winning streak. It was a day you refer to even now to tell yourself that it’s never over until it’s over. If you were there at the ground, you went back with a psychological boost.
A 16-year-old Anustup Majumdar was in the Eden Gardens stands as Laxman and Dravid piled on 335 runs on Day 4. Imagine the indelibility of the impression it must have left on a budding cricketer.
“I’ve grown up admiring VVS Laxman, Steve Waugh, Hansie Cronje. And I’ve seen them play these type of innings many a time. Many of Laxman’s high scores have come while batting with the tail,” Anustup Majumdar, who has bailed Bengal out of several crises, says in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
Celebrating his 40th birthday today, he has scored 13 hundreds – nine in Ranji Trophy and four in Vijay Hazare Trophy – since the start of the 2019/20 season. To push the eyebrows further up, four of those first-class tons came when none of his teammates could reach even 60. And five of them were recorded after Bengal had lost four wickets for under 90.
A representative case was the league encounter this year against eventual champions Mumbai. Chasing a mammoth first-innings score of 412, Bengal were skittled out for a paltry 199. But they couldn’t dismiss Anustup, who remained unbeaten on 108 off 127 balls. It was his third century of the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy – he logged 125 each against Andhra and Assam.
“You are obviously left disappointed if the team loses. I did score a hundred but the match could’ve gone another way had I gotten support from the other end. It obviously feels great to excel in difficult situations. And the more you perform, the more expectations you have on your shoulders. Whenever I walk into such a situation, everyone expects me to take the team out of trouble. But I don’t want these situations to arise so frequently,” he laughs.
Anustup Majumdar is like the elastic cord to bungee jumpers who take the plunge with the assurance that they’ll be pulled back up. You are guaranteed to find him leading the rearguard. How does he do it time and again?
“I don’t have a formula for success. But even as a kid, I loved being in challenging situations – be it playing sport or solving puzzles. Until and unless I am in the thick of things, I don’t know how to come out of it. I have come across so many people who don’t want to get out of their comfort zone. They limit themselves that way, whereas people should set their own limitations,” he stated.
It has also got to do with his strength of character and mind. An avid reader of Satyajit Ray’s detective novel Feluda, Anustup has always been inclined towards the mental aspect of things. He was rendered fascinated by the canniness and intellect of the character when his father gifted him the book Badshahi Angti on his 10th birthday. In fact, he was nicknamed Ruku after a child character in Joy Baba Felunath.
It always gives you an edge if your knowledge transcends professions. And that’s precisely why Anustup hasn’t given up on reading. His latest was Wilma Rudolph, the American sprinter who beat polio to become the fastest woman in the world.
“I love reading books and I have tried to maintain the habit. I don’t read to exactly switch off but to acquire knowledge. Even when I re-read a book, I find something new in it,” he remarked.
Someone who remarkably keeps finding new gears, Anustup Majumdar had his best ever Vijay Hazare season last November-December. He amassed 312 runs at an average of 78 and strike rate of 97.8, including two consecutive centuries in do-or-die matches.
Tied with MP on 16 points, Bengal had to beat Punjab to secure a pre-quarterfinal berth. And they found themselves tottering at 85 for six after 27 overs. But still at the crease was Anustup, who shared a 145-run alliance with Karan Lal to finish on 111* and take his side to a competitive 230 for nine. They eventually won by 52 runs. He again took centre stage four days later, this time striking an unbeaten 102 off 88 balls to help Bengal chase down 286 versus Gujarat.
Bengal’s only triumph in the 50-over tournament came in the 2011/12 season, and the quarterfinal had played out an eerily similar script. After being reduced to 154 for six, Anustup held the fort with a crucial 57-ball 55 batting with the tail to take Sourav Ganguly’s side to 230 for eight. MP fell short by only 15 runs.
“I rate the knock against Punjab this year higher because qualification was at stake. Of course, that 55 came in a quarterfinal but this 111* came on a difficult track. A big factor for us becoming champions that year was Sourav Ganguly. He might not have dominated the charts but his captaincy was unbelievable,” the soft-spoken Anustup recalled.
He further contributed an unbeaten fifty in a 107-run fifth-wicket stand with current head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla in the final as Bengal beat heavyweights Mumbai by six wickets.
“I don't have any regret” – Anustup Majumdar
A staggering 76.27 percent of Anustup Majumdar’s first-class runs for Bengal have been scored since the start of the 2017/18 Ranji Trophy. While it’s commendable that he’s aged like fine wine, it also means that his true potential wasn’t uncorked earlier.
He received the coveted Bengal cap in December of 2004 – almost 20 years ago. But it soon turned into a forgettable occasion as he managed only four runs in each innings. He had to wait three long years for his next appearance, which meant watching the two Ranji Trophy finals Bengal played in 2006 and 2007 only on TV.
“I was captaining the Under-22 side in those two seasons. Despite scoring runs there and in club cricket, I was somehow overlooked for the senior team. I was young, not very mature, and hence used to get upset. And my lifestyle wasn’t great either; I didn’t give much importance to fitness. It was much later in my career that I realised that power, mobility, flexibility are equally essential. And to be fair, I didn’t get guidance on that front either. But looking back, I don’t have any regret now,” Anustup Majumdar told Sportskeeda.
Playing at the top of the order, he scored his first hundred against Baroda in the second match of the 2007/08 Ranji Trophy. But Bengal got relegated to the Plate Group after finishing last in Super League Group B. And Anustup’s graph followed suit. Spurning valuable opportunities and years, he logged only five fifty-plus scores in the next six editions. It meant he played only 26 out of the 45 matches in that period.
“When I came back in 2007/08, I had matured a bit and our then coach Bharat Arun supported me a lot. But I somehow never had this in me that I have to play for India. And I don’t have any regret as well. I loved just playing and winning matches for my team,” he said.
He was quicker out of the List A blocks, though. After scoring 47 on debut versus Assam followed by 61 against Tripura, he put the Odisha bowlers to the sword and notched up a maiden hundred.
“I find white-ball cricket comparatively easier. There’s fun batting because you don’t have to think that much,” Anustup chuckled.
Chances, however, came at a premium in the shorter formats too. Bengal played back-to-back Vijay Hazare finals in the next two years, but all Anustup got was a solitary outing. And it came in the 2009/10 summit clash as he smashed a breathtaking 66 off 44 balls at No. 7 to keep Bengal in pursuit of a stiff target of 380.
Railways move doesn’t stay on track
Four players from Bengal were picked in the East Zone squad for the 2011/12 Duleep Trophy. Among them was Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who opted out in the eleventh hour. And it paved the way for Anustup Majumdar.
At a time when runs proved hard to come by, Anustup’s century in the opening game went a long way in them lifting the trophy. After Suryakumar Yadav’s 134 powered West Zone to 314, East found themselves wobbling at 200 for five. Anustup then scored 102 out of the next 143 runs to help them gain a crucial lead. He followed it up with 144 in the semifinal and 52 in the final as East were crowned zonal champions.
2012 was a milestone year for Anustup. After playing the last four league matches for the Pune Warriors India in IPL 2012, he was named in the India A squad to tour New Zealand in September.
But the Bengal story refused to change plots. He played only five out of the nine Ranji Trophy matches next season, while being dropped from the shorter formats. It was then that he made the “wrong decision” of switching allegiance to Railways.
“I used to work in metro rail. They had approached me earlier as well, but I never went. I played for India A in 2012. But when I was dropped from the Bengal side after a few matches in the very next season, I suddenly felt very insecure. And that’s when I decided to chance the Railways offer and get some sort of security. But now, I’d say it was a wrong decision,” a forthright Anustup Majumdar said in retrospect.
In the 2014/15 season for Railways, he was part of only seven matches across formats while logging a single fifty-plus score. Playing Bengal at Eden Gardens, Anustup was in the away dressing room and on the bench. It was also difficult to balance work and cricket. And to make matters worse, he fell out of favour next year.
“Yeah obviously, it was difficult to manage both office and practice. When I went the next year, they told me I was not in the reckoning. I asked for an NOC and that was also rejected. And since I hadn’t played for Bengal the previous season, they couldn’t assure me of a place. Railways again called me back for the 2016/17 season, but I didn’t go,” he added.
The Railways chapter was a big learning curve. It taught him patience, temperament, and that comfort zone isn’t always comfortable. And most importantly, it reminded him of the simple pleasures of playing and winning.
“There’s no bigger support than your family. You may draw inspiration and motivation from various quarters, but without family support, you won’t be able to thrive in the long run. When I quit the Railways job, everyone in my family was against the decision. It was only my wife who was there by my side. She said, ‘No problem. I’ll take care of things,’” Anustup Majumdar revealed.
He roared back in the 2017/18 Ranji Trophy, stitching together scores of 119 and 108* versus Goa followed by 94 and 132* against Gujarat. Had the third knock been a hundred, Anustup would have become the first from Bengal to record four successive centuries in as many innings.
“I have a very stable mind and I don’t worry about what’s next. I don’t let things get to my head – whether I score a hundred or warm the bench. So the stability of mind is very important in a profession as uncertain as ours. Having fewer expectations is what has changed my life,” he asserted.
For someone having a memory like an elephant, for someone who remembers old scorecards in detail, Anustup Majumdar’s strength lies in moving on but never forgetting.
While his exploits in the 2019/20 Ranji season have been eulogised, very few people remember him missing the first three matches. He was told that he wasn’t fitting in the combinations.
“I never think like I have to prove myself so that they can never drop me. I just look to make the team win,” he reiterated.
Sometimes, the answer is in the question itself. And he's calm and composed to spot it without much ado.
Bengal were reduced to 46 for five in the quarterfinal against Odisha, before Anustup struck 157 off 239 balls to swell the total to 332. The neighbours were all out for 250 as Bengal progressed on first-innings lead. In the semifinal versus Karnataka, they were again staring down the barrel at 67 for six. And it was again the same guy who stroked a counter-attacking 149* off 207 deliveries to take Bengal to 312 and eventually a first Ranji Trophy final in 13 years.
“We should’ve won the first final. I still regret getting out on the morning of Day 5. It was a ‘so close yet so far’ moment. But I don’t have any personal regret. Many people tell me how I would’ve played for India had I scored these runs earlier. But I believe different players peak at different times and it holds true for all professions,” he opined.
Anustup Majumdar has been scaling new peaks every season. He ran riot in the 2022/23 campaign, amassing a whopping 867 runs with three centuries and four fifties to boot. It also included his highest first-class score – 159 off 207 balls versus Himachal after Bengal were severed to 44 for five. He was their leading run-getter in the latest edition as well with 510 runs.
“We played the finals in both seasons. In terms of quantity and runs, 2022/23 was my best season. But on the basis of quality and situations, the 2019/20 edition was my best. From being 46 for five against Odisha and 67 for six versus Karnataka, we went on to win those matches. Whereas, we had it relatively easier in the knockouts last year,” he analysed.
A big-time foodie, Anustup’s insatiable hunger on the field also gets highlighted. While the Covid-induced lockdown saw most cricketers return with more kilos, Anustup continued from where he had left. After the initial period of peak curfew, he didn’t quite follow the social-distancing norms and started training with Ranadeep Moitra, who now recruits trainers for the senior Indian men’s team.
The 2019/20 season not only made Anustup Majumdar an indispensable member of the side, but it also led to him being named skipper as domestic cricket resumed after the pandemic.
“I was named captain at very short notice, along with the announcement of the team. I didn’t get the time to mentally prepare. I don’t know what will happen in the coming days, but I hope such a situation doesn’t arise again. It was a strange time with 23-member squads because of the risk of players contracting Covid-19. It was difficult to narrow down on combinations from such a large pool, coupled with the mental fatigue of undergoing frequent Covid tests, isolation and all that,” he explained.
Bengal failed to make both the VHT and SMAT knockouts as Anustup was stripped of the captaincy. Not only that, he was dropped from the white-ball formats the next season. He didn’t play the entire Mushtaq Ali and the first three Vijay Hazare matches. But for someone brimming with self-belief, he smashed 110 in his comeback game to brush Mumbai aside.
“There was no stability in the side. When somebody who was captain the previous year gets dropped, imagine what a junior player would go through. It is very important to define player roles – especially in white-ball cricket – so that they also get some clarity,” he pressed.
No wonder Bengal has reached a solitary limited-overs final in the last 12 years.
40-year-old Anustup Majumdar remains ageless amidst a young crop
Those on the periphery of Bengal cricket are often left stunned at ‘How is Anustup Majumdar still playing?’ While those in and around the nucleus are scampering to find out ‘How many did Anustup Majumdar score today?’
He is the reference point for old-timers, and the hope for newcomers. And he’s still the flag bearer of the Bengal team having played second division way back in 1999.
“I can inspire people not by words but through my craft,” he continues in the one-and-a-half-hour chat with Sportskeeda.
It is faith that goes a long way in embellishing inspiration into a cult. Anustup Majumdar may not be the most talented batter the state has ever produced. But he’s stood the test of time. And it’s no surprise that he idolised Mark Waugh and grew up under Sourav Ganguly’s wings – two personalities who embodied grit.
“I’ve learnt from Sourav Ganguly how to counter-attack. I always look to score runs irrespective of the situation because that unsettles the opposition. And I always play to make the team win. I see many youngsters play to secure their place in the side and I was one of them myself. But I came out of that zone very soon. That 35 might keep you in the side for the next match, but it won’t help you survive in the long run,” he added.
Bengal fielded a staggering nine debutants through the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy. Funnily enough, none of them played all seven games. And apart from Suraj Jaiswal, nobody had anything to write home about.
“I wouldn’t say the new players weren’t good, but you can’t feel secure when there are 8-9 debutants throughout the season. And they didn’t perform as well as we would’ve liked, otherwise they could’ve probably gotten longer ropes. A new player takes time to adapt to the team environment and it is our job to ease them in.
“I can look someone in the eye and tell how nervous they are feeling. You can excel in pressure situations only if you look forward to them. You have to first want to overcome a challenge. Before others say, you have to tell yourself that you are the best. And it holds true for criticism as well. So it’s all about mindset. If you visualise being in a pressure situation beforehand, it gets easier when you are actually in it. Your preparation will take some pressure off you,” Anustup elaborated.
Just how thoughtful he is in life, he first reads a situation and thinks it through before acting on it. Before going out to bat in the 2019/20 quarterfinal against Odisha, he had decided to take the attack to Basant Mohanty and played out the scenario in his head. It is the constant fight to stave off complacency and strive for improvement that has kept him ahead in the race for relevance.
“I was taught in my childhood not to reveal your weaknesses to anyone. Yeah I scored a lot of runs, but there are still areas to work on and I’d like to do that before the next season. For a player, preparation before a match or a series is the main thing, above even hard work and sacrifices,” he added.
While Anustup Majumdar is definitely a saviour, there’s no hiding the fact that Bengal have found themselves on a sticky wicket more often than not. With Manoj Tiwary now hanging up his boots, the middle order will be as threadbare as ever.
“We’ve been hearing many things about the second division, from where we’ve also come through. The ratio of good players in those teams is on the wane. While earlier there were at least six good players in a team, there are probably only two now. And I don’t believe there aren’t 20 quality players in a population of 10 crore.
“If you look at the last 20 years, Bengal sides across all age groups have had more players from outside Kolkata. So I feel there needs to be more focus on scouting from the districts. I am from a district [Hooghly] myself and I know the best of facilities aren't there. And those who struggle young are likely to excel quicker. In a way, it is better to have fewer distractions and options,” Anustup explained.
Captaincy is a matter of pride. But it will be a pity if after doing the heavy lifting for so many years, after the blemish of the 2020/21 season, Anustup again has to wear the captain’s armband.
“If I am given some additional responsibility, then it’s something to ponder. My job right now is to make the team win. But if I have something more on my plate, then I need to look through a different lens – which batters or bowlers would be ideal, the kind of wickets to play on, etc. I am ready to accept the captaincy for the next season, but I need to be informed beforehand,” he stated.
At a time when people complain of a mid-life crisis, Anustup Majumdar has been swatting away one crisis after the other, with a smile on his face.
His career has been like the summer afternoon nap. It might seem short until you realise how long you’ve slept. And it’s deep enough to leave you wondering whether the sun is setting or rising.
In the 90s, during peak summer in Chandernagore, country liquor used to be ferried from one side of the Hooghly to the other. And as the dealers would tie their boat and go for delivery, Anustup and his friends would have the time of their life rowing all around.
It’s been three decades and Anustup Majumdar is still at it – steering Bengal through choppy waters.
