Our goal is to strive hard for lifting trophy this year, says Maharashtra chief selector

New Delhi: With the Ranji Trophy starting from October 11, 38 teams will be back to the quest of lifting the prestigious first-class trophy, albeit in two phases. Akshay Darekar, chief selector of the Maharashtra senior men's team, said the goal for his team is to try and strive hard for lifting a trophy in this domestic season.

With India opener Ruturaj Gaikwad at the helm as the skipper, Maharashtra will begin its Elite Group A campaign against Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar, followed by facing off against Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai. Maharashtra has won Ranji Trophy twice – the last instance of its win coming in 1941, apart from three runners-up finishes.

The last season’s Ranji Trophy saw Maharashtra play a whopping 27 players in seven games. In the absence of a settled and firing playing competition, they couldn’t enter the knockouts, finishing with 12 points coming off a win, three losses, and three draws.

"Ruturaj is the next big thing for India. Everyone has seen his captaincy. Like at CSK, the way he handles pressure situations showed that he has leadership qualities. So, his selection as the captain was a plus point for us, as he is so involved with this team.

"Our goal is to try and strive hard for lifting a trophy this year. The matches against both teams are going to be very good. We know that if we play well together, we will win both the matches. Captain Ruturaj is there and I am sure he will handle everything well," says Darekar in a conversation with IANS.

In a bid to achieve glory, Maharashtra have also roped in Sulakshan Kulkarni, who won Ranji Trophy as a player and coach for Mumbai. Kulkarni was the coach of the Tamil Nadu team that lost to Mumbai in the semifinals of Ranji Trophy last season. Darekar remarked Kulkarni’s inclusion on a two-year contract has been positive so far.

"We keep discussing squad-related things. He is very satisfied with the squad. He has seen all the players closely in the last two-three months, and knows the role of every player in this team. We keep discussing with him before and during matches in the run-up to this season. He is also very satisfied with the process.

Darekar stated the Maharashtra team has been selected through a meticulous process starting in July – via selection matches and camps. They then divided 26 players into participating in two tournaments - a multi-day event in Pondicherry and Dr. (Capt.) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Tournament, a pre-season red-ball competition by KSCA.

In both competitions, Maharashtra finished as runners-up. "This team has been selected on the basis of performances in the processes since July. Through this process, we went through, we found an easy way out in getting the team combination. So, we made this team with eight batters, six fast bowlers, three spinners, and two keepers," adds Darekar.

With left-arm pacer Samad Fallah, Maharashtra’s highest wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy, retiring from professional cricket earlier this year, the side has brought in senior fast-bowler Rajneesh Gurbani, who won two Ranji Trophy titles with Vidarbha.

"Rajneesh is a proven cricketer. He is a senior fast bowler who will lead our bowling line-up. All of them in the team are good youngsters. With him being a senior pro, he will guide them to get good performances. A senior pro is needed in the team; so, his role in the team is very important. He will guide them in different situations, so that the youngsters in the team develop under him.

"Plus, it is a challenging season for him as a professional cricketer. He is playing outside Vidarbha for the first time, and how he takes up this challenge will be interesting to see. He is a proven cricketer and a good bowler. So, I am very hopeful that he will deliver very well for us in this season," added Darekar.

Maharashtra also has the services of youngsters Arshin Kulkarni and Sachin Dhas, who had stellar performances in this year’s U19 World Cup. “This domestic season will be very important for them. They are the upcoming stars.”

"Like, in the KSCA tournament in Karnataka, both of them performed very well there. So, hopefully, they will continue their good showing and who knows, we will get two more good players in the form of them for India at the higher level," stated Darekar, who represented Maharashtra as a left-arm spinner.

He signed off by saying batter Rahul Tripathi is unavailable due to a lower back issue, while fast-bowling all-rounder Rajvardhan Hangargekar is still in the mix to play in the Ranji Trophy. "Rahul is struggling because he has a little bit of problem with his lower back and needs a break. It will take time for him to heal."

"On the other hand, we have kept Rajvardhan in a tentative role. He is a part of the team. But it depends on the situation. If he is playing in the eleven, then he will play for the senior team. If he is not playing, then it is better for him to play for the U23 team. But he’s still a part of the team. His form is still good, and will continue to benefit Maharashtra."