UP look for winning start with new skipper
LUCKNOW: After a pathetic showing in the season-opener Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy last month, former joint winners Uttar Pradesh would like to start their campaign in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on a winning note when the Bhuvaneshwar Kumar-led side take on hosts Karnataka in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Team India pacer Kumar, who has been struggling to stage a comeback in the side after sustaining an injury during the last Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will have a bigger responsibility on his shoulders as his own success and that of his team would both matter in the future.
The event will give the players a chance to impress the national selectors, before the ODI and T20 series against England, which will begin in March. India is slated to play five T20s in Ahmedabad and three ODIs against England in Pune.
Young batsman Priyam Garg was removed from the captaincy after the T20 event. “Unlike the T20 event, the atmosphere has changed a lot and we are feeling positive vibes now,” said a team insider on condition of anonymity. After sharing the trophy with Tamil Nadu in 2004-05, Uttar Pradesh’s next best effort came in 2015-16 when they lost to Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals.
After that, they could never make it to the knockouts in the last five editions.
“It’s a new event and a new beginning, too, for everyone. We have a new skipper and everyone is backing him, too,” the team’s chief coach Gyanendra Pandey said on the eve of the day match, which starts at 9am on Saturday. “We should always look ahead and this isn’t the time to discuss old records. We need to focus on what we are going to do,” he added. Pandey, who has been one of the most successful captains in the history of Uttar Pradesh cricket, also said that side had the potential to overpower any team in domestic circuit.
“We have been a good bunch of cricketers and the boys have the capability to challenge any side in the country. One good start and things will start falling into place automatically,” he added. Pandey’s deputy and team’s batting coach Parvinder Singh, who missed the T20 event due to coronavirus infection last month, also sounded positive about the UP-Karnataka match on Friday.
“Everyone is excited and raring to go. We had a wonderful training session today and we are hoping to have a winning start here,” Singh said.
Although a drizzle in Bengaluru on Friday evening threatened the Saturday’s match a little, authorities at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium seemed confident about an on-time start to the match on Saturday.
“It’s just a drizzle and we have enough arrangements to cover the pitch as well as the ground,” said a groundsman on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the participating teams in the tournament this season have been divided into six groups – five Elite Groups, one Plate Group. The group stage will be followed by quarterfinals with the summit clash scheduled for March 14.