Ranji: Focus on seven debutants
There was no awkwardness saddling the Pandyas when the elder brother was picked for T20s against West Indies and Australia and the India A squad to tour New Zealand. The younger brother, after all, was not in the reckoning due to an ongoing rehab for a back injury. Even otherwise, Krunal and Hardik have never allowed cricket come in between them, and neither will. That, in a nutshell, is what cricket means to these Baroda brothers —a way of life that’s not above the intensely personal space shared by them.
After Hardik’s meteoric rise, prompting premature and hyperbolic comparisons with Kapil Dev, hopefully it’s the older brother’s time to wade into international cricket. Like Krunal, Hardik too is equally excited at its prospect. “Hardik was going to bed because he had to get up early. I got the (selection) news late, around 10:30pm, and he said: ‘Now I’m not feeling sleepy because I’m so excited you are and cricket, whether it’s his fashion or his family.
“I have never told Hardik to change. If you want to do well, you have to be yourself. Then only can you give a 100%. That’s what he is doing. As long as it is not affecting his cricket and not harming anyone, then I think we should leave him at it,” said Krunal who stresses the term ‘sibling rivalry’ doesn’t strictly apply to them purely from a cricketing perspective. “He is a fast bowling all-rounder. I’m a spin bowling all-rounder. These are two completely separate departments.”
Krunal is right. His family may not be confronted with the same discomfort that hung in the Ganguly household when Sourav was picked for the Bengal squad in place of the elder brother Snehasish, a prodigious left-handed batsman then. Or like in the several well-documented stories of Mark Waugh replacing older twin Steve Waugh, Shane Lee — and more recently Albie Morkel — living in the shadow of younger brothers Brett and Morne.
But as is the unfortunate case with most brothers in cricket, the Pandyas too have been quickly categorised. Hardik is the temperamental all-rounder with potential, urged to cement the allimportant No 7 position across formats. Krunal, a more composed player who looks aware of his limits, is the older brother still trying to make his mark. Off the field, Hardik is all bling and unapologetically flashy in his social media presence.
Krunal, on the other hand, comes off as more well-balanced.
“You can say we have different personalities.
But I’m naughtier than Hardik. He is more expressive.
Not me though,” said Krunal. He, however, has no doubt who is more talented between them. “Hardik”. On their growing up together
A record 37 teams, including seven debutants from the northeast, participating in the Ranji Trophy beginning Thursday pose a massive logistical challenge for a cricket board going through administrative chaos.
The new teams, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya , Bihar and Puducherry, did feature in the recently held 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy but playing red-ball cricket will be a tougher challenge.
Some argued that the new teams should have made a gradual progression to the Ranji Trophy, starting with age group cricket rather than rushing them into the country’s premier firstclass competition.
However, the Supreme Courtappointed Committee of Administrators went for an all-out approach and the newbies now find themselves thrown in at the deep end.
The nine teams will compete against in the Plate group, just like they did in Vijay Hazare Trophy where Bihar, who returned to domestic cricket after 18 years, and Uttarakhand, gave a good account of themselves. Most of these teams will rely on outstation players this season.
More than 50 grounds will be used during the tournament, making it a huge logistical challenge but Saba Karim, BCCI GM of Cricket Operations, said his team is ready.
While the nine teams aim to find their footing, domestic stars will be in action across Group A, B and C. Test regular Cheteshwar Pujara is expected to play Saurashtra’s opener against Chattisgarh while spinner R Ashwin and Murali Vijay have been named in the Tamil Nadu squad for their first game against Madhya Pradesh.
With teams already announced for the four-Test series in Australia and the A tour of New Zealand, exemplary performances in Ranji Trophy are unlikely to be rewarded.
Group A seems to be the toughest of all in the presence record champions Mumbai, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Railways Chattisgarh, Vidarbha and Gujarat.
While Gujarat won their maiden title in 2016-17, Vidharbha were the winners in the 2017-18 season. Ahead of another season, it would be too early to speculate if there will be a firsttime winner of Ranji Trophy.
Perennial favourites Mumbai will be led by the stylish Shreyas Iyer, at least in their opener against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. The team will be high on confidence following their win in Vijay Hazare.
Teenage star Prithvi Shaw will not feature against Railways as he still recovering from an injury he suffered during the Deodhar Trophy in Delhi last week.
Most of the Test regulars are expected to play in the early stages, unless they are picked for the A tour of New Zealand, which takes place ahead of the Test series in Australia beginning December.
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