Ranji v Duleep

Everyone has a reason for playing cricket. Some play because their friends also play, some start with a single-minded focus of playing for the country. There are various steps one goes through before getting to that ultimate goal.

In Mumbai, cricket is big at junior levels: even playing for a school like Shardashram, where Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli played, is a matter of pride. Harris Shield, Giles Shield and other such tournaments are very competitive. After having played at those levels, one moves to age groups and then becomes one of the probables for Ranji Trophy. For a youngster that is a big thing, because that is one step below playing for the state, becoming a first-class cricketer.

I remember when I got picked for the Under-17 side, I saw it with a lot of pride. When I was handed the cap with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) logo on it, it was a big thing for me. Every thing since then – collecting newspaper clippings, conversations with friends, et al – was a motivation for playing for Mumbai. With such a journey to playing for the state, one inevitably values every moment and success with the state team.

When a player starts playing for a state, he gets attached to particular venues too. For any cricketer in Mumbai, it is very special to play at the Wankhede, may it be the Ranji final or school cricket final or Times Shield tournament. I remember the first time I went to the Wankhede. Sachin was making his debut, and Achrekar sir [Ramakant Achrekar, my coach and Sachin’s] had picked us up and taken us to watch the game. The first thing that struck me was the lush green ground and I immediately told myself I wanted to play there.

When it comes to a team like Mumbai, there is a lot of history attached too. We have won the Ranji Trophy 37 times now, and whenever Mumbai fail to make it to the knockouts, it is considered a big failure. A Mumbai player knows great players have represented the team; there are stories and legends built around and that can be a source of both motivation and pressure.

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Not all players get picked for the national team straight from the U-19s or state side. There are few like Parthiv Patel and Yuvraj Singh who do well at U-19 level and bypass the route. But others have to go through the system and this is where the Duleep Trophy comes in. It gives an opportunity to cricketers who have already done well for their state, but haven’t made it to the national side: there are three games if you make it to the final, someone like Parthiv who has scored 900-odd runs in the season gets a chance to take it to 1200-plus.

The timing this year is unfortunately not great. The squad for Australia has already been announced, but the players have to tell themselves there is a Test series coming up in March too. That said, this is better timing than the last two or three years when it used to be played before the Ranji Trophy. So the players would make it based on the previous season’s performance and wouldn’t necessarily carry on from where they had left then.

Different players from different teams come to play for a zone in Duleep Trophy. It is very difficult to adjust because the thinking and the attitude are different. For example, Mumbai players who have won Ranji 37 times think differently than some other teams. Then it is difficult to get all the different players to gel as a team for just two or three matches. Players are not comfortable in even sharing rooms. It may work for a senior, because the junior room-mate usually adjusts to his habits.

Duleep Trophy is an individualistic tournament, because – whether players accept it or not - everybody focuses on his own runs and wickets, being so close to selection. Playing for a state side comes with a sense of togetherness, with a lot of success and disappointment shared over a period of time. That bonding is missing in the zonal sides.

While getting used to players from different backgrounds is a must while playing for India – and just as difficult – but because one wants to play for India for as long as possible, he has to adjust. While playing Duleep Trophy, the attitude is to just somehow get through the two-three matches. Besides, while playing for a national side, when the whole world is watching, selfish players are exposed, something you can get away with while playing the Duleep Trophy. And then there is the pride of playing for a country. There is hardly any pride involved in representing your zone. There are different people from different states, some selfish, some hard to get along with.

While any success is cherished, players generally value the state team’s success more. But then again, the standard of cricket in Duleep Trophy is better as the best players from the country are playing there. Individual performances bring more satisfaction here. It still is a big thing to play Duleep Trophy: ask those who played a lot of Ranji Trophy, but couldn’t make it to Duleep Trophy. When one gets that opportunity, he should get over all the issues, and as a professional look at it as an opportunity and step closer to the goal.