MUMBAI, Mar 14: For all the runs that he did not score this season as Mumbai’s most experienced batter, skipper Ajinkya Rahane won praise as a leader for guiding the domestic giants to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title.
Rahane’s leadership remained a crucial factor in Mumbai making their way through to the final of the Ranji Trophy this year, while fighting fires on several fronts such as injuries to players and even their non-availability.
While he grappled with a severe drought of runs — Rahane averaged 17.83 for his 214 runs with two fifties in eight matches — there was no reflection of his struggle individually when it came to leading the side.
“I’m the happiest that we are champions despite me being the lowest run scorer for the team this year,” Rahane said at the presentation after the game.
Forming a vital partnership with a ‘low-profile’ coach Omkar Salvi, Rahane chalked out the ‘processes’ which Mumbai followed to the tee and emerged winners here on Thursday.
A lot of Mumbai’s frontline players were not available. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is now a permanent member of the Indian side and so is middle-order mainstay Sarfaraz Khan, who played only one game this Ranji season — against Bihar.
Tushar Deshpande went away for a while for India ‘A’ duty, while the now-retired Dhawal Kulkarni played selectively and a large chunk of responsibility in the pace department fell on Mohit Avasthi, who returned the faith showed in him with 35 wickets.
Tanush Kotian, who scored 502 runs and grabbed 29 wickets, remained one of Rahane’s most trusted lieutenants and there was no dearth of backing for the young players in Musheer Khan and Royston Dias.
And not surprisingly, once again it took that extreme situation to bring the best out of Rahane.
Like it did in Australia a few years ago, when he led India to a series win with players who were never meant to play on that tour. (PTI)
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