Hubballi, February 28 Head coach Ajay Sharma said on Saturday that the Ranji Trophy victory has helped Jammu and Kashmir unearth new cricketing heroes, as their absence had haunted him while playing against established teams like Mumbai or Delhi.
Sharma’s team overcame eight-time champions Karnataka by virtue of a 291-run first innings lead here to secure their maiden title in the premier domestic red-ball tournament.
“It’s a proud moment for the team, JKCA, and all the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a dream come true. It has been a long journey, and we are very happy. I never thought that we could win the Ranji Trophy,” Sharma told reporters after the match.
“When you play against other teams, it’s very difficult to beat them. The way they played against Mumbai, Delhi, Bengal, MP, Hyderabad, Rajasthan… they were all former champions with a lot of experience and Test cricketers. We had no such heroes, but everyone has become a hero,” he added.
“The players who have played their part have now become heroes. They used to think that they were heroes just by playing in the IPL. But when you win this trophy, your fortunes open up. The possibilities are endless now. Now, they understand the value of this trophy,” he said.
However, J&K faced some tense moments before the final as in-form Shubham Khajuriya and Vanshraj Sharma had to be benched due to injuries.
J&K, however, found able replacements in Qamran Iqbal and Vivrant Sharma.
“A day before the match, two of our main players, Shubham, who was a consistent performer, and Vanshraj were ruled out due to injuries. We were confused about what to do. But in the end, we had to call in Vivrant and Iqbal.”
“Iqbal… I have to give credit to this guy. He had to catch a flight at 11.30 at night and arrived here at 6 am. But he showed what he can do for the team in the second innings. He is a match-winner. He has his own style, but it always works for us,” he detailed.
On a lighter note, Sharma said he has now been accepted as a coach in his family circle.
“I am also very emotional. I am very happy for them. They have started calling me coach now. Manan (Sharma, Ajay’s son) used to play for Delhi before retiring. He is now calling me coach.”
“I also have the support of my family. When you are away from home for 7-8 months, you get all the support from your family. My two sons, Nipun, Manan, and Anchal, and my daughter-in-law, my wife, and my mother, all of them supported me,” he noted.
Yere disappointed
Karnataka coach Yere Goud left a disappointed man after his side stumbled on the final hurdle.
“We should have controlled their total around 400. While we were batting, we lost two wickets in the span of two overs, and that made a difference. Otherwise, even on that kind of wicket, 584 was still a chaseable target,” said Goud.
The former Karnataka middle-order mainstay also said the season offered a lot of positives despite not being able to bag the title.
“Smaran has been the highest scorer (overall in the season). The way we came back in the Punjab game, chasing 215 in 28 overs. Again, beating Mumbai in Mumbai, chasing 325 on the 4th day.”
“Karun did well in the league phase. Mayank is among the runs, close to around 650-700 runs. Shreyas (Gopal) with the bat and ball, has made a significant contribution.”
“Yes, definitely we wanted to finish it on a high, but it didn’t happen. But again, this is a work in progress, and we will keep improving in this area,” he added.
