MP stun Mumbai to lift maiden Ranji title
MUMBAI: Wiping the tears streaming down his cheeks, Madhya Pradesh coach Chandrakant Pandit walked to the centre of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He turned around, put his hands together, more a gesture of thanks to the venue than the couple of thousands in the stands.
It was a moment of redemption for the heartbreak he had suffered as MP skipper at the same venue 23 years ago. Then, chasing a fourth innings target, his batters had caved in to Karnataka spinner Vijay Bhardwaj, ending a brave run to the Ranji Trophy final in 1998-99. Not on Sunday. MP, the better side for most of the five days in the Ranji final against 41-time champions Mumbai, had held firm despite a few hiccups to knock off a fourth-innings target of 108, winning by six wickets with over a session to play to
clinch their maiden Ranji title.
As his players jumped on each other in celebration, Pandit pulled them together for a huddle in the middle before the joyous team
chaired the man who has been stamped as the super coach in Indian domestic cricket. He took Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji titles and now had returned to
MP, guiding them to a triumph that had slipped out of his hands.
The MP players were carrying their coach on their shoulders when he asked them to put him down, to meet the Mumbai players who were waiting to congratulate the winners. Pandit hugged his former Mumbai teammate Amol Muzumdar, coach of the beaten finalists. The last Mumbai title, in 2015-16, came under Pandit, who now has six wins as coach. How Pandit organised MP had been a big focus of this year’s Ranji. Yet, not many would have bet on them to go all the way. Their past record wasn’t great and they had just that one final in Bengaluru to show.
One of the stalwarts who made the dream become reality was Rajat Patidar. In the end, it was fitting that their top-scorer hit the winning run. Patidar’s century on Day 4 had helped MP take a 162run first-innings, leaving Mumbai hoping for a miracle.