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Uttarakhand's rise from Big-Bang chaos to the Ranji quarterfinals


rkt.india

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Picture this: Rishabh Pant is leading Uttarakhand in their quarterfinal against Vidarbha in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. In an alternate universe, that would have been possible.

 

This could-have-been story starts with the BCCI exploring the option of granting membership to the newly-formed state in 2000, and finding four different factions fighting among themselves. Had an association been formed then, Pant, born in the state, might well have played for them instead of seeking the greener pastures of Delhi. Those four groups have still not reached a resolution.

 

But, thanks to the Lodha recommendations, Uttarakhand has gone from a state with too many - and therefore none - associations, to a team that has gone 15 matches on the trot, across formats, without defeat (albeit against fellow newbies). It has become a side that alone in the Plate Group had star performers from home-grown talent, and not just the professionals. A side that jokes together, laughs together, stops for mithai [dessert] and chai [tea] on the way back from the stadium together, sits around a bonfire together, and most importantly, wins together.

 

Until last year, players in the state didn't have a team. This season, established domestic stars have come to Uttarakhand in search of a team to call their own. And they've taken that team to the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy, with the promise of elevation to Group C next year.

 

****

 

It began like the Big Bang - in chaos. Not from the association, because the BCCI stepped in, and Ratnakar Shetty, widely respected across the spectrum, had been appointed to keep the show running.

 

The chaos was in the form of the extended monsoon that Dehradun gets, which played havoc with practice sessions. For most teams, having every outdoor practice session washed out entirely would fall in the 'disaster' category. What, then, of the effect on a team trying to cobble together players for its first-ever season?

 

Cricket came to their rescue, with the facilities at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun used extensively. It's an academy that was set up because of a father's love for the game and his son. And while Abhimanyu Easwaran has lit up the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, the academy was a life-saver for Uttarakhand.

 

"They organised our trials even though it rained like anything," captain Rajat Bhatia recalls. "We practised and stayed there, got all the facilities there."

 

Both Bhatia and coach KP Bhaskar had been hand-picked by Shetty, whose tryst with Uttarakhand was a long-time coming.

 


 

read more:  http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/25764570/uttarakhand-rise-big-bang-chaos-ranji-quarterfinals

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8 hours ago, ShoonyaSifar said:

A truly great achievement. But given the gap of quality between the elite and plate groups, BCCI could have looked at having a play off between Plate winners and teams ranked 2nd in Group C for the final quarter final spot to see how well the plate winners can compete.

true. so far uttarakhand has not done too badly though, and that too against ranji champs.

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my only is how can a team like Uttarakhand play QF ahead of stronger teams like Punjab, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengal, etc.  Current format of ranji trophy is nonsense.  No plate teams should be in line of winning Ranji trophy.  Plate teams should be aiming to get into to two Elite groups.  We must have two elite groups and 2 plate A and Plate B groups instead of 3 Elite groups and one plate group because the team in Elite group C were in plate group before this season.  Current format is huge injustice to two Elite groups A and B.

 

IMO, teams from Elite group A and B should be playing QF and not team from C and D group.  their only aim should be to the top their respective groups and qualify for Elite groups for next Ranji season.

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38 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

my only is how can a team like Uttarakhand play QF ahead of stronger teams like Punjab, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengal, etc.  Current format of ranji trophy is nonsense.  No plate teams should be in line of winning Ranji trophy.  Plate teams should be aiming to get into to two Elite groups.  We must have two elite groups and 2 plate A and Plate B groups instead of 3 Elite groups and one plate group because the team in Elite group C were in plate group before this season.  Current format is huge injustice to two Elite groups A and B.

 

IMO, teams from Elite group A and B should be playing QF and not team from C and D group.  their only aim should be to the top their respective groups and qualify for Elite groups for next Ranji season.

If a team from Plate group or Group C can do well in three back to back knock out matches, they deserve to be Ranji champs.

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