PTI
Kolkata, February 15
A red-hot West Bengal have a chance to claim their first Ranji Trophy title in 33 years when they take on Saurashtra in the summit clash here from tomorrow.
West Bengal will not just be hungry to win the title, but revenge will also be on their mind. The last time they made the final in 2020, Saurashtra won the title on the basis of a first-innings lead on their home turf in Rajkot. Both the teams are set to cross swords in a Ranji final again — this time at Eden Gardens, a venue where West Bengal had won their last trophy back in 1990.
I was there when he made his Test debut, I was a part of the team as well. I don’t see a lot of difference in his attitude and ethics. There can’t be a better way to give him a tribute (than winning Ranji title). Jaydev Unadkat on Cheteshwar Pujara
The likes of opening batter Abhimanyu Easwaran, all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed and pacer Mukesh Kumar, who have been on the national radar for quite some time, will be fully aware that a title at the biggest stage of the domestic level could be a career-defining feat.
West Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary, who is also the state Sports Minister, is also 167 runs shy of a personal milestone of 10,000 runs in First-Class cricket. He may not have been prolific with the bat, scoring only 398 runs, but his astute captaincy and maturity has worked well for the side.
“I’m not thinking about milestones. Speaking from experience, whenever you have a milestone in mind the focus shifts,” Tiwary said.
Pacer Akash Deep has been on fire, picking up 37 wickets from nine matches, while youngster Sudip Gharami has come of age to become their second-highest run-getter with 789 runs.
Squaring off against a Saurashtra team bolstered by the return of left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat from the national side, the onus will be on the West Bengal batters to give their team the edge by taking a first-innings lead.
For the visitors, the two left-arm pacers — Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya — would be their X-factors.
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