Keen contest likely in Irani Trophy match

The greater number of Tests and one day internationals might have diluted the interest of the cricket fan in the domestic circuit. But there are certain matches at the national level which still retain their prestigious value. The annual Irani Trophy fixture is one of them.

It is now forty years since the first game in the series was played. The trophy, named after long time treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ZR Irani was instituted by the BCCI in 1959 for a match to be played between the Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India. For the first few years, it was played at the fag end of the season with Bombay inevitably taking on the Rest of India team. The BCCI, realising the importance of the encounter, made it a season opening fixture at the start of the 1965-66 season.

Ever since then, the Irani Trophy has probably been the most important domestic fixture. The leading players inevitably take part in the match, a lot of interest is sustained and quite often, it has been a sort of selection trial to pick the Indian team for tours abroad. A major performance in the Irani Trophy has frequently seen a budding youngster make the Indian team. The examples of Dilip Vengsarkar at Nagpur in 1975-76, Kapil Dev at Bangalore in 1978-79 and K.Srikkanth at New Delhi in 1982-83 come readily to mind. Vengsarkar, then 19, hit a memorable century, hitting the Rest of India's star bowlers Bedi and Prasanna with disdain and within a month he was opening the innings for India with Sunil Gavaskar. Kapil Dev's all round feats against Ranji champions Karnataka saw him clinch a place on the Indian team that went to Pakistan while Srikkanth's blazing hundred against Ranji champions Delhi saw him return to the Indian team that toured Pakistan.

In recent times, with the international calendar being so full, some of the leading players have been obliged to miss this important tie. And the Irani Trophy game starting at Bangalore from Friday, is no exception. With most of the leading players on duty in Nairobi, the prestige of this annual game has been diluted a bit. But it is still an important game in many ways. For one thing, young players who do well in this match can aspire for higher honours for it is a pretty crowded international season for the Indian team, what with the New Zealanders currently in this country, and then India touring Australia and then the South Africans scheduled to come here early next year. Secondly, it certainly is a crucial game for certain established players. Nayan Mongia, who leads the Rest of India team, has been out of the Indian team for some time now. First he was nursing an injury and then he was overlooked for the Nairobi tournament as the selectors opted for MSK Prasad who has not done badly in the handful of one day games that he has played. Mongia now has an opportunity to prove that he is still the best wicketkeeper in the land.

On the Karnataka side too there are two experienced players for whom this game is important. Anil Kumble has been discarded after the Coca Cola Challenge in Singapore, following lack of form and he will keen to prove that he is still the No 1 spin bowler in the country. Pace spearhead Javagal Srinath has been rested since there is a long season ahead. This match could prove how much he has benefited from the rest.

For the younger players, there is a lot at stake. The Rest of India team has a number of talented cricketers in Nikhil Haldipur, Hemang Badani, Nilesh Kulkarni, T.Kumaran, KS Anandthapadmanabhan, H. Ramkishen, Harvinder Sodhi, Reetinder Singh Sodhi and India A captain VVS Laxman. The Karnataka side has fine young players in Arun Kumar, Sujith Somasundar A. Vijay, Somasekhar Siruguppi, Yalvigi, Anand Katti and Dodda Ganesh.

So all in all, there is a lot to play for. There is an important trophy to win for the teams, there is the possibility of an India cap for the players, and it is a rehabilitation encounter for some established stars. All this should ensure that there will be a lot of interest in this game, which should turn out to be a keen contest.