Vidarbha capable of going all the way, say former captains

NAGPUR: Several former Vidarbha captains’ unfulfilled dream of seeing the team lift Ranji trophy could come true if all goes well in the next few weeks.
The spectacular performance by Faiz Fazal and company has given several ex-cricketers of the region a reason to cheer and hope. Suhas Phadkar and Manish Dosi are no different. Both of them firmly believe that this team is capable of going all the way.
“I am sure that this is the best Vidarbha side ever.It has everything which a champion outfit needs. It has a strong batting line-up, quality bowling attack and most importantly, everyone is contributing. The match against Kerala has proved that the middle and lower middle orders can chip in when the situation demands,” said Dosi.
The former left-arm spinner and a handy batsman lower down the order, Dosi said the team under Usman Ghani was the strongest but failed to break the quarterfinal jinx.
“We had a very strong unit in 1996. Usman Bhai was leading from the front and I was the vice-captain. We had a golden chance to beat Hyderabad to enter the semis, but VVS Laxman’s epic knock shattered our dreams. We had good batting in the form of Yogesh Ghare, Umakant Phate, Praveen Hingnikar, Parimal Hedaoo and Samir Gujar. Preetam Gandhe was the bowling spearhead. However, Faiz’s boys have surpassed everyone expectations. I think they will beat Karnataka, which are one of the title favourites. But we’re a slightly better side,” said Dosi, an employee of RBI.
Phadkar praised the team but didn’t brand it as the best.
“This is perhaps the most balanced squad. Batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy are top class. Apoorv Wankhade was not among runs but his century lower down the order will boost his and the team’s confidence. Still, I won’t rate this as the best Vidarbha side. There were three-four equally good teams earlier, who couldn’t live up to the expectations of the home fans,” said Phadkar, who was the mainstay of Vidarbha’s batting for nearly two decades in the 80s and 90s.
“Chandu (Chandrakant Pandit) is strict and a thorough professional. His enormous experience is proving handy for us. Wasim Jaffer’s presence in the side is also helping the team management. Compared to my era, I feel this generation is lucky to have great facilities and a sound support staff. They now travel by flight and taken care of well as compared to our era,” said Phadkar.
Phadkar was the one who predicted that Faiz would score 3-4 centuries this season.
“I regularly speak with Faiz’s father Yakub. Before the start of the season, I told him that his son will slam 3-4 hundreds. Faiz actually did better than what I predicted by scoring five tons. He has led from the front and with R Sanjay, provided excellent starts. I believe they will continue to shine in the next two matches and bring the coveted title,” Phadkar added.
Dosi, who has been following all the Vidarbha teams closely, is hoping that this year’s success will change the overall scenario.
“Not only the Ranji side, Vidarbha’s juniors, particularly the U-19, boys are also doing a great job. It’s a very positive sign,” said Dosi.