Delhi’s Influence Behind Jammu & Kashmir’s Historic Ranji Trophy Triumph
· Free Press Journal
There is a touch of irony in the fact that three Delhi cricketers have played a leading role in the remarkable triumph of Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy, the national cricket championship, which they achieved by beating eight-time champions Karnataka on first innings lead in the final at Hubballi on Saturday.
For nearly fifty years, J&K, who made their debut in the 1959-60 season, were the whipping boys of the North Zone, with Delhi and the other teams in the then-zonal format feasting on them, guaranteed full points.
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Bedi’s early influence
It was the late legendary captain of Delhi and the national team, Bishan Singh Bedi, who first instilled in them the confidence that they were capable of beating the best.
His stint lasted only two seasons, culminating in taking them to the knockout stage for the first time in the 2013-14 season, where they lost in the quarterfinals, before he quit in protest at the alleged mismanagement in the state association.
Administrative overhaul and new direction
Former Delhi captain and opener Mithun Manhas, the current BCCI president, was appointed by the Board to clean up the administrative mess, and he put a system in place to bring stability and order to cricket in the Valley.
The final piece in the puzzle was the appointment of another Delhi stalwart, Ajay Sharma (who played a lone Test), as coach that saw them rise to new heights, culminating in Saturday’s triumph that has brought a sense of unity and joy right across the entire state, cutting across all sectarian and political divides.
Bowling attack scripts historic win
J&K’s biggest strength has been the opening attack, which crushed the much-vaunted Karnataka batting line-up boasting Test stars KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal, and Mayank Agarwal, whose century in the final was their lone bright spot.
J&K, on the other hand, did not have a single international in their ranks but owed a great deal to opening bowler Auqib Nabi, whose five wickets in the final broke the back of the mighty Karnataka batting and took him to a record 60 wickets in the season, including 26 in the knockouts. He should soon make it to the national team, though his age, touching 30, may be a factor against him.
Their other stalwart is captain Paras Dogra, who has over 10,000 runs in the national championship while representing Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry before shifting to J&K.
A sign of cricket’s wider growth
Their victory this season caps a decade when less fancied sides like Gujarat, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, and Madhya Pradesh have all won the title for the first time, marking the spread of the game across the entire country, which augurs well for the continued good health of Indian cricket.