After three years of wait, Gadekar grabs his chance with both hands

Panaji: Goa opener Ishaan Gadekar made a memorable debut in the Ranji Trophy as his 105 in the first innings and an unbeaten 67 in the second set up a seven-wicket victory against Kerala at Thumba on Friday.
The 25-year-old had impressed selectors and captain Darshan Misal in Vijay Hazare one-day tournament and Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournaments with his attacking game.
Drafted into the team in place of Sumiran Amonkar – who had, incidentally, also scored a century on debut – Gadekar made it count.
"It feels great to be the player of the match on your debut. It is a dream start for me. I have worked hard to reach here and I am glad that I played my part in setting up Goa victory," Ishaan told TOI on Friday.
For three years, Ishaan was hoping to make the cut but with Covid-19 playing spoilsport, had to wait for his chance.
"I didn't give up. I knew I would get into the team. I practised and remained patient," said Ishaan.
Ishaan’s success is now part of a good run not just for Goan cricketers but also the younger crop.
"Goa were looking to invest in youth and build up a fresh team. Ishaan, Rutvik Naik, Mohit Redkar have been performing consistently. We tried a lot of combinations," said Prakash Mayekar, director of coaching and cricket operations, Goa Cricket Association.
Ishaan showed a lot of maturity and patience to build his innings in his first match. He took 200 deliveries for his ton, while during the chase, he faced 136 balls and stood like a rock for his 67.
"Ishaan is talented and has worked hard to come up. He has the right approach needed for an opener. We wanted a right-left hand opening combination and it worked. I am happy with his performance," said captain Darshan.