The Delhi-Mumbai rivalry will come to the fore when both the teams meet in their next Ranji Trophy 2022-23 Elite Group B match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
The encounter is often touted as the ‘El Clásico’ of Ranji Trophy, but to call it so would be an exaggeration as it does not look like a great match-up. Mumbai, the 41-time champions, have had an impressive season so far, with three wins, one loss and one draw, and are second on the points table. While Delhi is scattered overall, there is yet a balance to be found.
This season, Delhi have had one of the saddest tales to tell, especially when it comes to their bowling attack. Opposition batsmen have used this as a way to improve their record and going forward, Mumbai will be keen to threaten them a bit more as they inch closer to the quarter-finals.
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Captain Ajinkya Rahane is happy as the youngsters in the team have made his job easy. He might have been dropped from the Indian team but a century against Assam in the last encounter has given him the confidence to break into Fort Kotla.
“Obviously, Mumbai will play like Mumbai. But our focus is on taking one match at a time. What has happened in the past is past. Start fresh for each game and take confidence from the previous ones. At the same time, we respect our opponents and play to our strengths,” said Rahane while interacting with the media ahead of the clash against Delhi.
“We are not taking them lightly. Delhi is a very good team and a Mumbai-Delhi game is always good. The important thing is that we focus on our strategy and support each other.
It is safe to say that when Rahane is the captain and is surrounded by youngsters in a team, the results are mostly phenomenal. The cricketing world has seen it a few years back in Australia and now again in Ranji Trophy.
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Mumbai’s young players are scoring runs in big numbers and the latest example is Prithvi Shaw who smashed a mammoth 379 against Assam to record the highest individual score for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy history. In such a situation, ‘josh is high’ in the dressing room and captain Rahane is also inspired by it.
“The atmosphere is great. It’s a very happy dressing room. I get to learn a lot from all these guys and that’s my motto; my mantra is to keep learning from each and every person and grow as a cricketer,” Rahane said. said in response to a question News18 Cricket Next,
Not just Prithvi, but other players like Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer and Yashasvi Jaiswal are strengthening the Mumbai batting line-up this season. But not all days will be bright. There will be sad days too. But they need not worry as skipper Rahane has got their back.
“It is important to back each and every person in the team. I have always believed that you have to shake hands with someone who is not doing well or going through a bad phase. It is important to give them that kind of confidence. Give him that freedom, not only on the field but off the field as well. He can come to me and talk to me about what he wants or what is going on in his personal life. give that freedom to,” Rahane replied. News18 Cricket Next Question.
Well, the message to the youth has always been clear and simple, “Control the controllable, and don’t dwell on things that are not in your hands. Just try and be in the moment and don’t think too far ahead.”
But apart from being the people’s captain, the 34-year-old has done some self-discovery and tried to become the batsman he was in his younger days. The whole rejuvenation process also involves improving his batting skills but not much.
“I was thinking about the old times and when I first got into the Ranji team. How did I play, what was my thought process? I have gone back to the drawing board and I am trying to be the Ajinkya that I used to be in my early days,” said Rahane.
“No big changes but small changes, skill wise, now I have to think for Mumbai and do well for them. It’s totally on my mind. I am not thinking too much about my batting but preparation is important for me. The preparation has been really good even before the Ranji season.
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