COLLECTIVE EFFORT: Kerala’s players celebrate the fall of a wicket during their Ranji Trophy cricket match against Bihar at the Greenfield stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, January 31, 2025.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
The IPL snub was a bitter pill to swallow for Kerala players. Captain Sachin Baby believed that more players from the State deserved selection. At his first address to the team members before the Ranji Trophy season, Sachin Baby said that the goal was to qualify for the knockouts, and it was the only way they could showcase their potential before the world.
The Kerala captain is mighty pleased that his team was able to achieve the goal it had set before the start of the season. “We waited six long years for this moment, and I am proud of the boys. They showed character and team spirit. I am happy with the way we fought back from adversity,’’ he said.
“We had four or five heroes in every match. Even though our top order batting didn’t fire, the gritty batting by the lower order bailed us out. I always believed in collective effort, and we had plenty this season.
“Our medium pacers stepped up when we went for away matches and I think we fought on equal terms with stronger teams in our group,’’ he added.
Baby praised Salman Nizar and Jalaj Saxena for fashioning the innings win against Bihar. “Salman played an outstanding innings, and it is easily the best I have seen him play. Jalaj has always been a champion bowler for us. Today he delivered when it mattered.
“I was a bit surprised at the way Bihar collapsed as there wasn’t much help for the spinners. I was expecting the match to go to the third day. But the quality of our spinners ensured that we won with a lot of time to spare,’’ he said.
Published – January 31, 2025 08:25 pm IST
