Vizay Hazare Trophy, 2008-09

[Chandan]

Vijay Hazare Trophy is named after the prolific Indian batsman, the Vijay Hazare Trophy was started in 2002-03 as an attempt to bring the limited-overs game among a greater audience. The competition involves state teams from the Ranji trophy plates battling out in a 50-over competition, much on the lines of Ford Ranger Cup of Australia and Friends Provident Trophy of England. Since its conception, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai have won the trophy twice each. It is also dubbed as the Premier Cup by BCCI. It now joins Deodhar Trophy as the second one-day competition of Indian domestic circuit. In the year 2008-09, 5 teams from West Zone to lock horns in Ranji Trophy Rajkot: India's T20 star players, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan of Baroda, Dhaval Kulkarni and Rohit Sharma of Mumbai, Parthiv Patel and Siddharth Trivedi starer Gujarat and Ravindra Jadeja starer Saurashtra will lock horns in West Zone Ranji Trophy one day tournament starting here from on Sunday at RMC ground and Khandheri ground. Opening matches will be played between Baroda and Mumbai at Rajkot Municipal Corporation ground while Gujarat will take on Maharashtra at Khandheri stadium on Sunday. Talking to reporters here at RMC ground, Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer said his team which has won the Ranji title do not think much about the one day tournament but their goal is definitely to win the tournaments. Rohit Sharma, who has been included in a national squad for New Zealand tour will play couple of games for Mumbai before leaving to abroad. Wasim Jaffer, Amol Mazumdar, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and all rounder Abhishek Nayar will be the main stay in batting for Mumbai. While, Dhaval Kulkarni who has also been selected for New Zealand for test series will spreahead bowling department alongwith Avishkar Salve, Usman Malvi and two spinners Iqbal Abdullah and Ramesh Powar. On the other side Baroda too have competitive side and looked formidable in the opening match because of inclusion of Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan. The Pathan brothers had recently won theT20 match for India against Sri Lanka. Baroda skipper, Irfan Pathan termed his side as new but talented and said his team will come into field in positive attitude. Besides the Pathan brothers, Baroda have Pinal Shah, Ketan Panchal and Rajesh Solanki to put good total on board, but Baroda may be missing services of Munaf Patel who too have been included in national side for New Zealand tour. Munaf has yet to join with the team and his inclusion in playing eleven would be decided later in the evening, Irfan told media persons here. On Khandheri groud, Gujarat will take on Maharashtra. Top two teams from the each zone will go through Vijay Hazare all India knock out matches to played in East Zone from February28 to March 9.

[Show_stopper]

Vijay Hazare Trophy? Guys, any updates/results for the matches played today? I can't believe a thread hasn't been opened yet. Chandan you always have info regarding domestic matches..

[Chandan]

Guys' date=' any updates/results for the matches played today? I can't believe a thread hasn't been opened yet. Chandan you always have info regarding domestic matches..[/quote'] I had few news and squads but I felt that hardly anyone is interestred in domestic cricket on this board and no one reads or responds to the Ranji or Duleep threads that I opened. So I decided against opening one for Vijay Hazare Trophy. Why don't you start this time ans see if anyone gets interested or not?

[Show_stopper]

I had few news and squads but I felt that hardly anyone is interestred in domestic cricket on this board and no one reads or responds to the Ranji or Duleep threads that I opened. So I decided against opening one for Vijay Hazare Trophy. Why don't you start this time ans see if anyone gets interested or not?

Yeah it is true that many people here aren't interested..but don't let that deter you especially when you have news we don't. Do you have any links for the scorecards of the games played today?

[Chandan]

Ok. I'll do a few previews and post today's scorecards too. But you promise me to take this thread further.

[Show_stopper]

Yeah sure i'm interested in the domestic games.

[Chandan]

North zone: Inclement weather threatening to play havoc Special Correspondent DHARAMSHALA: The late Bob Woolmer found the cricket stadium here among the most picturesque in the world. Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was keen to return to this one-of-a-kind venue in the country. Ironically, the murky conditions meant they could not even enjoy even a full day’s cricket. Situated at the foothills of the Dhauladhar mountain ranges, the Dharamshala Stadium has hosted several first-class games in the past few years but always at the mercy of the weather. Cricket returns to this less-fortunate venue with the North Zone one-day league that begins on Sunday. Una, situated 110km from here, is the other venue for the six-team league. Inclement weather is once again threatening to play havoc with the tournament. Over the past week, heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the region has led to un-seasonal rainfall. Poor visibility due to dense fog is another factor playing the spoilsport. Unless the weather improves, it is difficult to visualise decisive battles spread over the complete quota of overs. Perhaps, the next 10 days might well give the six teams plenty of reasons to understand the Duckworth-Lewis method better. Delhi favourite When they turned up for the North Zone Ranji one-dayers last season, Delhi were the in-form team. They had just won the Ranji Trophy after 16 years and were high on form. That showed in the abbreviated format as they raced to the top of the table, pulverizing the opposition that came in their way. That rollicking form and the champions' attitude would be missing this time around. Delhi have had an average Ranji Trophy season and might struggle before getting their act together. Nevertheless, it's still impossible not to see them as the firm favourites in the tournament. Delhi look experienced and balanced with enough firepower in both batting and bowling. They have the most settled batting line-up in Aakash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Minhas and Virat Kohli. The four-pronged pace attack of Sumit Narwal, Parvinder Awana, Pradeep Sangwan and Ashish Nehra would pose a challenge in the cool and moist conditions. However, Delhi being the favourites has to do with their resilience as also with the state the other teams find themselves in. Punjab, their strongest rivals, are still going through the rebuilding phase after the exodus to the Indian Cricket League. Except for skipper Pankaj Dharmani and pacer Gagandeep Singh, the team is inexperienced, with many players either just two or three seasons old and quite a few coming from the under-19 ranks. From being the favourite whipping boys in the zone along with Jammu and Kashmir and Services, Himachal Pradesh have become quite competitive. They were the second team to qualify for the knockout behind Delhi last season, and can be expected to be competitive. Haryana haven't been able to field a strong team for some time now. They depend too heavily on Joginder Sharma and skipper Amit Mishra, and wouldn't be a force to reckon with until the others chip in. As for J&K and Services, they would need to play out of their skins. In terms of strength, defending champion Delhi is the favourite. It opens its campaign here against Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. Punjab and Haryana are no longer the teams they once were. Punjab is going through a transition after several of its players joined the Indian Cricket League. Haryana, once again, failed to return to the Elite group in the Ranji Trophy season this year. Services, like always, is among the also-rans. Himachal Pradesh, which has regained its place in the Ranji Trophy Elite group after a series of sterling performances this season, will be a serious contender for a place in the knock-out stage. Sangram Singh (632 runs) and Mumbai-import Bhavin Thakkar (586) were the two leading run-getters. Vinit Indulkar, another former Mumbai batsman, contributed 314 runs and lent value to the side. The team is fairly balanced and cannot be taken lightly by Delhi and Punjab. As a result, it appears to be a three-team race for the two qualifying spots for the knock-out stage. Given the overall lack of quality opposition, Delhi is unlikely to miss the services of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma who will be away on National duty in New Zealand. Led by Aakash Chopra, the team has several proven names in the squad. Mithun Manhas, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rajat Bhatia and a fit-again Ashish Nehra give the squad a formidable look. Leg-spinner Chetnya Nanda, left-arm medium-pacer Pradeep Sangwan and Sumit Narwal bring variety to the attack. But for the performances to show, weather has to be kind over the five rounds of matches over the next 10 days.

[Chandan]

East Zone: Bengal look to cash in on Sourav factor - Hosts take on Jharkhand in East Zone National One-dayer today A STAFF REPORTER Calcutta: This was supposed to be a clash between Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But the Team India captain’s decision to make himself unavailable for the National one-dayers has come as a damper. Nevertheless, Bengal are quietly confident on the eve of their opener against Jharkhand at the Eden on Sunday. There is a conscious attempt not to undermine their opponents and qualify as the No.1 team from the zone for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “We’re not going to take any team lightly… This being our first match we are extra cautious. We may be the better team on paper, but it hardly means anything… At the end of the day, performance counts,” Bengal captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla said. Sourav skipped practice on Saturday but will play the match. “He has been practising hard for the past few days and nothing should be read into his absence today… He is available for Bengal,” assured Shukla. Sourav, who has called it quits from first-class cricket, will use these matches — he will not play against Tripura — to get into the right groove before the start of the Indian Premier League. Bengal, who made the Ranji quarter finals after qualifying for the Elite group this season, can only gain from his presence. “Dada’s presence will obviously give us the edge. We hope to cash in on that,” Shukla said. Sourav, it is learnt, will bat at No. 3. “As he has not played a match for sometime, he has requested that he be allowed to bat at No. 3 and not open the innings,” said a member of the team management. Bengal are looking to bat first on a wicket that has a fair sprinkling of grass. “A score of around 270 will suffice,” felt Shukla. Bengal coach Utpal Chatterjee was of the opinion that the wicket was full of runs. “Batting first will be wise because the wicket will tend to slow down in the second session. We’ve played a practice match on this wicket… It seems to be full of runs,” felt the former Bengal left-arm spinner. The Bengal players went through their paces under the watchful eyes of consultant Mohinder Amarnath and Utpal for close to three hours. “Jharkhand are a young and promising bunch. We’re aware of their strengths,” said Shukla. The visitors are hoping to play to their potential. “Bengal are a formidable side. It would have been nice if Dhoni was around. We have got used to playing without him and will play to our strengths,” Jharkhand captain Shiv Shankar Rao said. The new set of rules for the tournament will allow no compulsory ball change during the entire 50 overs of an innings. This means the batting side cannot take the advantage of a hard ball towards the end of the innings. “That is the rule… Can’t do anything about it. But don’t think that will be a big problem. We have had enough practice with the white ball,” said Shukla. The Jharkhand captain echoed the same opinion. “Don’t think ball change will make much of a difference,” said Rao. TEAMS Bengal (likely): Sreevats Goswami, Wriddhiman Saha, Sourav Ganguly, Manoj Tiwary, Laxmi Ratan Shukla (captain), Debabrata Das, Dibyendu Chakraborty/ Sourav Sarkar, Avik Chowdhury, Ranadeb Bose, Ashok Dinda, Writam Porel. Jharkhand (from): Manish Vardhan, Rameez Nemat, Isahnk Jaggi, Saurabh Tiwary, Aamir Hashmi, Santosh Lal, SS Rao (captian), Kuldeep Sharma, Rahul Shukla, Kundan Singh, Manoj Kumar Singh, Sujit Roy, Subrato Ghosh, SP Gautam, Keshav Kumar. Umpires: Subrat Das and Arun Kr Basa (both Orissa) Match Referee: Baldev Gosai. Meanwhile, Assam start favourites against Tripura in another match at the JU campus ground, Salt Lake, on Sunday. “We’re in a rebuilding phase,” Tripura coach Samir Dighe said. Assam are not just looking at full points but also hoping to maintain a good run rate.

[Show_stopper]

I just read on another forum that Baroda have beaten Mumbai..

Wasim Jaffer said his team which has won the Ranji title do not think much about the one day tournament

Maybe this attitude explains it.From what i hear it was Pathan brothers' match with Yusuf scoring a century and Irfan a 50 and also sharing 5 wickets.Brilliant.

[Chandan]

Squads Results : Day 1 South Zone: Karnataka defeats Andhra by 9 wickets (with 176 balls remaining) Tamil Nadu defeats Goa by 20 runs Hyderabad (India) defeated Kerala by 4 wickets (with 10 balls remaining) East Zone Tripura defeats Assam by 29 runs Bengal defeats Jharkhand by 90 runs North Zone Delhi defeated J&K by 112 runs Himachal Pradesh defeated Services by 27 runs Haryana defeated Punjab by 3 runs West zone Baroda defeated Mumbai by 4 wickets (with 35 balls remaining) Maharashtra defeated Gujarat by 10 runs Central Zone Uttar Pradesh defeated Raiways by 71 runs Rajasthan defeated Vidarbha by 87 runs Round up of Ranji Trophy one-day tournament - Day one

[cowboysfan]

i wish we had taken uthappa to nz for the odis instead of rohit sharma.

[Show_stopper]

i wish we had taken uthappa to nz for the odis instead of rohit sharma.

Absolutely agree..its quite obvious that Rohit will have to play at #6 (if at all) and we all know Uthappa's game is more suited to that slot than Rohit's. L.Balaji once again gets thrashed around in OD format..can't say i'm surprised though.

[ludhianvi]

An unbeaten century by all-rounder Yusuf Pathan 101 no (72b, 5x4, 7x6) wow

[Show_stopper]

^ got the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar too.

[Mr. Wicket]

What retarded selection from Bombay. No Agarkar? No Iqbal Abdulla, Kukreja or Rahil Shaikh (who impressed so much in the first class games with pace and bounce)? Instead they pick bits and pieces guys like Chavan and Mota who're good for nothing with the ball or bat. Fabulous performance from Yusuf and Irfan though. Given that they just slaughtered Sri Lanka though, Powar and Salvi shouldn't feel too bad that they got mauled.

[Ram]

Shouldnt some of these guys be resting a bit?

[msb1991]

Shouldnt some of these guys be resting a bit?

An OD or two won't do them any harm.

[Show_stopper]

An OD or two won't do them any harm.

Besides the only guys playing are Pathan bros,Rohit,Munaf,Jadeja. None of these guys have exactly been overworked as of late.

[Ram]

An OD or two won't do them any harm.

I am a big believer in respecting your body and allowing it optimum time to recover from the rigors of constant traveling, daily training and the stresses and and strains of a day out in the field. Some of these guys just came off a 3 week long tour in Sri Lanka. With less than a week to go for the NZ tour, shouldnt they putting their feet up a bit, allowing time for not only their body to recuperate, but also their mind to re-charge? The thing is, none of Irfan Pathan, or Yusuf Pathan or Rohit Sharma are going to hone their skills playing FC matches. I understand that they have an obligation to play FC cricket, but not at the expense of an upcoming international tour.

[amits]

pathan brothers get involved ina match-winning pship again to take their team to win from a impossible situation, this time for baroda :mad: to c dhawan fail, hope he does well in the coming matches and what does jaffer eat before the vijay hazare trophy:yikes: even last year, he was smashing quickfire 100s out here, but he happens to struggle in intl matches