After leading Mumbai to unprecedented success in the Ranji Trophy for many years, former India batsman Wasim Jaffer made a conscious decision to move to another state to give youngsters in his home city a chance to play in the XI. At Vidarbha, his role was re-defined as a mentor in addition to his batting prowess. On Thursday, the team entered its first-ever Ranji final after a dramatic five-run win over a formidable Karnataka outfit.
The Indian cricket stalwart reflects on the change that seeped through the Vidarbha set-up in the past few seasons, and the winning attitude that has been imbibed in the team by former Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit, who took charge of the team at the start of the season.
“Winning is everything.”
It is a motto that one lives by when playing for Mumbai. After playing for close to two decades with the team, the notion becomes integral to one’s thinking.
Having moved to Vidarbha after tasting years of success while playing for Mumbai, was a hard decision for me. But, this season, I realised that the thirst to win comes mentally and with the right attitude, any team can consistently notch up positive results.
With former Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit coming over to Vidarbha, this way of life was bound to rub on to the players here.
He is a hard taskmaster. Somewhere along I realised that this is what this young team needed. As the season progressed it became increasingly clear that this team had the talent to beat the top sides.
Beating Karnataka in such dramatic fashion will live with each of these players in the coming years. Such moments come rarely in the life of a cricketer. Hope is that the confidence earned from this victory spurs them on to achieve greater success.
From team dinners to activities, this team has worked as a family all season long. We are now just one win away, and I hope the thirst is still alive among the players to go all the way.
Self-belief
Prior to this season, Vidarbha had a penchant for losing games. Not even draw, if the situation seemed to go out of hand, the team would just cave in. With Chandu taking over, I feel the belief among the players grew.
Unlike Mumbai, what was missing for players from Vidarbha was belief. Due to lack of exposure, most players were stuck doing the same things over and over again.
But, the good thing is that all of them had the desire to learn. As a senior member, one of my roles was to provide these players a bit of guidance.
Not only were the players open to learn, but produced match-winning performances.
The victory over Punjab in our opening game proved vital. It was a team led by Yuvraj Singh, a strong side. We had identified them as the one of our toughest opponents this season. We came away from that with an innings victory. It was no small feat. Players like Sanjay Ramaswamy, Ganesh Satish upped their game to help us defeat a formidable side. That victory first up was a confidence booster.
We went on to defeat Bengal, which was another tough opponent. Faiz Fazal, Lalit Yadav came into their own in that match. Sanjay came good once again. Players like Akshay Wakhare was up to the task.
Beating Karnataka now in the semi-final has only made the campaign a fruitful one. Rajneesh Gurbani was in top form. His effort in both innings was exemplary to say the least.
Calling up Chandu sir
At the start of the season, I was without a contract. I called up Chandu informing him that I was available. He got me on board and we began preparations. Since, then the coach had made one thing clear, that we will aim to win.
For someone like me who has played Ranji for over 20 years, the fire to achieve victory still burns bright. Having missed out on most of last season due to injury, the desire to make a mark this time around was greater.
Apart from being a player, one of my roles was to guide my young teammates. The players were receptive to my tips and did not let their egos get the better of them.
More than anything this win belongs to the team. Despite the transition of a new coaching staff. The players were open to the ideas for the coach, and receptive to my tips as well.
The team had done well in the List A games as well as the T20 Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy. Under former coach Paras Mhambrey, the team was shaping up well. With Chandu bringing in his own style this season, the team became more disciplined. The results are proof of how well they have accepted his guidance.
We next face Delhi in the final. It is going to be a stiff challenge. But, our players have shown the gumption for such challenges. Punjab, Bengal and Karnataka were teams that are not easily beaten in the Ranji Trophy. We beat all three, its an accomplishment to savour.
But, our sights were always on the top prize since the start of the season. Chandu had laid down the target before the first match. We want to create history. The knockouts was the first step, the final was the next, lifting the trophy will be our ultimate goal.
As told to Kushal Phatarpekar