Scripting a success story, Vidarbha cricketers’ way!

Team Vidarbha’s successful bid to defend the Ranji Trophy title will surely go into record books as to how a small and less fancied team from central part of India rose to prominence with sheer dedication and self belief. There was a time when Vidarbha boys’ winning match in the Ranji Trophy was considered as a ‘miracle’ and the team was a regular at the bottom of the points table.

The team was losing matches on a trot and the management as well as administrators were continuously facing flak from the followers of the game. Deliberations over the bad state of the team, its depleting performance and the actions initiated to improve the same bore no result. Every year the story was repeated and the administrators, that included the current chairman of the ICC, were annoyed at the team’s poor show.   

However, some ‘imports’ from other parts of the nation, particularly from the cities known for producing Little Master, Master Blaster and The Wall, the cricketing ‘state’ gradually developed into one of the most revered teams on the domestic circuits. This was all under the supervision of a man who was ‘humiliated’ in his home state and took the baton of raising a team that can match the likes of Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad and other big wigs.

The coach with his discipline and no-nonsense attitude transformed the fortune of Vidarbha to being a side to reckon with. Even the new crop of players responded to his call and gave their 100% on the field. The captain, the senior players and the administrators came together to achieve the goal that was considered to be unachievable till a couple of years ago.

After closely following Vidarbha cricket for the past 20 years, it was unimaginable for me to think that one-day the coveted trophy would land in the arms of Vidarbhaites. The boys and the support staff not only achieved the ‘target’, but kept the spirits high and repeated the feat for the second consecutive year.

Today, the team can proudly hold its head high and move like champions, unlike earlier years when the team had to put its head down. The coach, the captain and the administrators have now started talking about some players of the victorious team being capable of donning India colours. The ‘state’ has seen very few players going on to represent India, prominent ones being Prashant Vaidya and Umesh Yadav. Though some players in the past were part of zonal teams that played inter-zonal matches, but they failed to ‘impress the selectors’ and be in contention of getting into the Team India.

Riding high on their performance in the national tournament for the last couple of years, the Vidarbha cricketers hope that they have now ‘impressed’ the selectors and won a national call for themselves. Whether they get into national team or not, only time will tell. But the boys have certainly given a reason to the selectors to ponder over their names when they sit for team selection next time.