Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra dominates Indian cricket due to team ethos and experience

They beat Bengal in their backyard by nine wickets as skipper Jaydev Unadkat and three from left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya rode on a six-wicket haul. After winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 50-over format, they clinched their second title this season.

Saurashtra is not a bunch of star players. They are not a great side, nor do they have much of a following in domestic cricket. But these boys know how to win cricket matches. Most of them are quiet, but have proven that no one needs loud noises to get attention.

That winning feeling 🏆 😊

Pat on the back @JUNadkat-led the Saurashtra their #RanjiTrophy title win 🙌 🙌 #BENvSAU | #Final | @sauce | @mastercardindia

Result card 👉 https://t.co/hwbkaDeBSj pic.twitter.com/m2PQKqsPOG

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 19, 2023

Arpit Vasavada remembers the time he played his first Ranji Trophy final in 2013 against Mumbai, where Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar played at the Wankhede Stadium. They were beaten as Mumbai won the title in a one-sided match.

But the veteran Saurashtra batsman says the journey to becoming a domestic powerhouse started there. “I remember that game. We lost badly, we were crushed. Somewhere I felt that in the future we will become a team that wins everything. It has happened now and it has been a long process,” Vasavada, second highest run-getter in this Ranji Trophy season with 907 runs in 10 matches , said.

The process was simple, support the players and give them a decent long run. Since 2018, Saurashtra’s core squad has remained together and in their last three seasons, they have introduced only two debutants in the playing eleven. Saurashtra fielded only 18 players this season. They had core players like captain Unadkat, Vasavada, Sheldon Jackson, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Chirag Jani, Prerak Mankad, Chetan Sakariya, Harvik Desai and Snell Patel. The new additions were Parth Bhut and Yuvrajsinh Dodhia. Bhut’s century, followed by five wickets against Punjab, saw them through to the semi-finals.

𝗖. 𝗛. 𝗔. 𝗠. 𝗣. 𝗜. 💢. N. S! 🏆

Say Hello #RanjiTrophy 2022-23 WINNERS – Saurashtra 👋 👏#BENvSAU | #Final | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/dF6DaaOND7

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 19, 2023

“A lot of credit goes to JD (Jaydev Unadkat) because he has planned and kept everyone involved. He supports everyone even at their low level and that has made the players believe that they can do anything for the team, Vasavada said.

Lead from the front

From Unadkat to JD of the team, the captain has the loudest say and even the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) does not defy his words.

“Look how he supported Sheldon (Jackson) bhai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He didn’t score
runs in the league games but scored in the final when the team needed it most.
The team also has a happy atmosphere. Before every game we all have a team dinner. There are games we all have to play, like silly charades and treasure hunts. These are the little things that matter. Our locker room will be full of families, Sakariya said.

Before the season, SCA bosses wanted to try new faces at the expense of players like Vasavada and Jackson. However, Unadkat knew the importance of experience in domestic cricket. He believed that these players were now at their peak and there was no point in wasting them on the bench.

🏆

The reactions tell everything 😊 🤗

The moment Saurashtra started celebrating after the win #RanjiTrophy 2022-23! 👏 👏

The @JUNadkat-led unit beat Bengal by 9⃣ points #Final 👍 👍 #BENvSAU | @mastercardindia

Result card 👉 https://t.co/hwbkaDeBSj pic.twitter.com/tt8xE3eUKY

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 19, 2023

– Experience in domestic cricket is needed, and these boys have it. I wanted them somehow. We’re not a state with a big pool, so we’ll have to work around it, the skipper mused.

The experience paid off enormously. Vasavada’s double century and unbeaten 47 along with Jackson’s hundred in the first innings helped Saurashtra beat a strong Karnataka in the quarterfinals.

Unadkat, who was in the Indian squad for the first Test against Australia in Nagpur, was given the option of playing the Ranji Trophy final or remaining in the national team for the second Test. He chose a domestic exhibit. After all, it’s not every day that you get to play the final.

“Saurashtra is always close to my heart, so when I was asked, I just said yes,” Unadkat said after the game.

What has changed in Saurashtra to lead to such dominance? “There is confidence, anyone can talk to anyone, there are no naamdar (big name) players in the dressing room, but we have kaamgar (hardworking) players with us. They do their job. At the same time, the team has five players who have played in five finals before. So we have an idea how to play these games now,” he explained.

Then the team got ready for the evening party. Saurashtra is no longer the side that was looked down upon earlier. They have earned their greatness
recognition.