Hardworking Bundela makes Ranji history

Devendra Bundela, the Madhya Pradesh captain, is two months short of turning 40. At an age where many of his contemporaries are long into retirement and have taken up coaching assignments, umpiring, commentary or lucrative media careers, Bundi bhai, as he is popularly known, still travels the length and breadth of India every year for the Ranji Trophy, a ritual he first started as a 19-year old in 1995-96.

On Tuesday, he will play his 137th Ranji Trophy match and surpass his friend Amol Muzumdar, the former Mumbai captain, to become the most-capped cricketer in tournament's 83-year history.

"Cricket has taught me discipline," Bundela tells ESPNcricinfo. "Coming from Ujjain [a town in Madhya Pradesh], which didn't have a history of cricket, it took me a while to get adjusted to rigours of professional cricket. That drove me to go out of my way and try and be an achiever.

"I took the decision to move out of my hometown to Indore very early. There was no guarantee of succeeding, but the challenges made me work that much harder. It's been a long journey, of ups and downs. Looking back now, I can say I've given it my best despite the limitations I had. There are no regrets."

The limitations Bundela refers to is about his own game and batting style. Growing up in an era that produced the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, he says, made him feel he had to work that much harder.

"These guys were all so naturally gifted," Bundela, the third highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy history, says. "In comparison, I realised I had to work doubly hard to be amidst these names. I used to learn from these guys even back in the day. Ultimately, it doesn't matter who you learn from."

The other aspect to Bundela's career has been the motivation and drive to continue this long. By his own admission, he realised somewhere after 2004, that an India cap may be difficult. His performances were noteworthy, but Madhya Pradesh's inability to win the coveted domestic title, he says, may have played a part in a lot of cricketers from the region not coming through then despite being talented and consistent.

"I think the turning point was the 1998-99 Ranji season," he says. "Maybe if we had beaten Karnataka in the Ranji final, things may have been different. To lose despite taking the first-innings lead hurt a lot. It does even today. If I could replay one match in my career, it would be that game. I clearly remember, around then, I was being talked about for a berth in the [national] team. I kept scoring runs. If I'd finished off that game, probably the trajectory of my career would have taken a different path."

It is this example that Bundela often impresses upon his young team-mates, when they come to him for advice: "If you score a hundred, make sure you go beyond. If there's a task you can finish, don't leave it to the others. If you're in a good patch, try to keep going."

What starts off as a healthy cricket discussion slowly veers into philosophy and the journey of life, according to Bundela. But he admits the current generation is much more focused and clear in their outlook. "Youngsters today are much more confident," he says. "There are so many avenues. Today, there's focus on India A tours, IPL, exchange programmes.

"For us, it was just Ranji Trophy. So cricketers of my generation had a different outlook. So by the time they're playing for India, they've been there and done that. Ultimately, irrespective of the level you play at, the basics remain the same - hard work, commitment and discipline. It doesn't matter if you're 22, 35 or 40. That's what I keep telling them. "

Over two decades, Bundela has seen the landscape of domestic cricket change in front of his eyes. Among the changes he picks out immediately is professionalism. "Twenty years ago, we were paid 1000 rupees per match. We used to travel by train," he says. "Then, it became 2000, 4000, and slowly 10,000. Today, a domestic cricketer is paid in lakhs. You can definitely live comfortably. That way, domestic cricket today isn't like how it was when we started."

"When we first started, we used to play on turning wickets. There were no debates like there are today. It was a given that you would encounter challenges. If a game got over in two days, that was it. There were no debates or questions about the pitch. We used to just accept it and move on. In today's age of professionalism, where every performance is scrutinised, it's different. That way, playing with two different generations has been a challenge. I've also had to evolve in the way I think about the game these days, because that's how fast professional cricket has moved."

Among the things professionalism has dictated, he says, is his diet. "Today, the first thing I think of before putting something on my plate is if I'm allowed to eat it. At my age, gym routines become important. Fitness wasn't as big a routine for me 20 years back. But over the last 10 years, that's an aspect of cricket that has changed."

Amid the changes, the one thing that has remained constant is Bundela's passion. "How long?" you ask. "Thoda time aur [A little while longer]," he replies. "The only disappointment is being unable to win the Ranji Trophy. We qualified for the semi-finals last year. This year it looks tough, but if we win the next two games outright, who knows. You can't give up easily, can you?"

Ask him how he wants to be remembered, and he is very clear: "A simple and hardworking cricketer who gave his best for the team."