Some stars from the past. Some who may shine in the times ahead! It will be a mix of both during the knockout stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy that starts here on Monday.
It is so ironic that the trophy has been named after the most committed text book batsman to have graced Indian cricket.
Sourav Ganguly will be the star attraction. Leading Bengal, the former India captain would be the star attraction when he makes an appearance at the Palam ground on Tuesday. “He brings a lot of value to the side. An ideal guide,” said coach W.V. Raman.
Ajit Agarkar and Wasim Jaffer provide depth to the Mumbai team which boasts of the exciting Rohit Sharma and the talented Ajinkya Rahane in its ranks. It is for them to justify the reputation they have earned on the circuit even as both confess to looking at opportunities in the longer format of the game.
As Agarkar noted, “It is an important tournament for us because we have not done well in the knockouts for some time. We have most of the guys available. We have enough experience. Rohit is keen to play. Ajinkya looks in good touch. Hopefully this is the time for all of us to grab the opportunity.”
Karnataka too would be waiting to grab the good opportunities. Said skipper Robin Uthappa: “We have done well in the zonals for five years or so and have worked pretty hard this time. We have always been touted as the big team but not achieved the desired results. We should this time. We have enjoyed our victories and a title here would be an ideal top up. We would like to relive some good memories from the past (of wins against Mumbai).”
Uthappa, Manish Pandey, medium-pacers Ronit More and A. Mithun would be the key to Karnataka's success.
Delhi, if it advances past Assam, would benefit from the services of Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli, resting on their return from Australia. They have indicated their availability to the team management for the match on Wednesday, provided, of course Delhi wins its opening fixture on Monday at the Ferozeshah Kotla.
Skipper Rajat Bhatia was confident. “We have a balanced side with good experience of the conditions. I am expecting the youngsters to make their mark. This is the stage for them to take that step which will help them grow. We won't take any team lightly.”
Young team
Punjab is looking good with the overall form of the young team. Gurvinder Singh and Mandeep Singh are the batsmen to watch. The presence of Harbhajan Singh lends the necessary experience in dealing with tough situations and he should be happy at the availability of leg-spinner Rahul Sharma. “We expect Rahul to be fit for the match (overcoming the jet lag),' said Punjab coach Vikram Rathour, on the eve of the match against Maharashtra.
Maharashtra did well to qualify ahead of a strong Baroda. The batting form of 19-year-old Ankit Bawne augurs well for the team. With Rohit Motwani and Kedar Jadhav he forms an effective trio. The bowler making waves is left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar. Having come through the ranks, he has emerged one of the frontline spinners on the circuit. Accuracy is his forte with a lethal armer to add. He should be the spinner to watch.
Railways impresses
Railways has impressed the most after faltering in the Ranji Trophy. Skipper Sanjay Bangar summed it up well, “We have always believed in collective strength. We have team where the rebuilding has been completed. Some new faces have made the difference. This is the future of Railway cricket.”
The efforts of opener Shivkant Shukla and medium-pacer Shailendra Gehlot have helped the team in difficult situations. The team will miss left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, yet to recover from an injury.
An interesting fact to note is that none of last year's semifinalists have made it to the quarterfinals this year.
