Fortunate to be in squad that will be playing Mumbai's 500th Ranji game: Aditya Tare

MUMBAI: Aditya Tare will lead Mumbai out in their landmark 500th Ranji Trophy game against Baroda at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, and the wicketkeeper-batsman, who, over the past few years has displayed all the qualities that define Mumbai cricket: passion, devotion, determination, clarity of thought, shrewdness, and a never-say-die attitude, feels fortunate to be part of the squad for this memorable encounter.
"It is a special game for us. It is a great feeling to be playing the 500th Ranji Trophy match for a terrific side. We feel we are quite fortunate to be the squad that will be playing this game," Tare said after Mumbai's nets session on Wednesday. "There has been a huge contribution from different quarters right from the inception of Mumbai cricket, and fortunately it is us who are playing the 500th game. I would extend my congratulations to everyone who has been part of the Mumbai team," he added.
So, is he experiencing additional pressure, given that this clash will be followed even more closely by fans of Mumbai cricket over the next four days? "There is going to be a great vibe to the game. But, we are going to treat it as just another game of cricket, which is important for us, and we want to win it. So, we will play with positive intent and hopefully try and get maximum points. We are playing at the Wankhede after a long time and it feels great to be coming back to the home dressing room with a strong squad."
Now that we are almost half-way through the season, what does Tare make of the new grouping system in the Ranji Trophy introduced this year? "One drawback of this format is that no team fears going down as there is no relegation. They are not going to feel the pinch of going down. Although two teams from every pool will qualify for the quarterfinals, the reduction in the number of league games for every team may sometimes end up as a drawback. If any good team lags behind or loses points because of poor weather, it's not fair on them," he explained. "Nevertheless, we have to accept the rules and get on with it. A clearer picture about this format will emerge only by the end of the season."