A sense of deja vu enveloped Vidarbha batsman Ganesh Satish when his team captured the Ranji Trophy title in Indore on Monday.
Satish had experienced a similarly euphoric high in the 2013-14 season when he was part of the Karnataka side which won the domestic treble (Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Irani Cup).
READ: Vidarbha clinches its maiden Ranji Trophy
Excerpts:
Q - Emotions:
A - Four years ago, if you had told me that I would win the Ranji Trophy for a second time, I wouldn’t have believed you. The emotions involved in both triumphs are quite similar. When Karnataka won the Ranji Trophy in 2013-14, it was my first big domestic title. This time, it is Vidarbha’s first ever Ranji Trophy title. It feels amazing to be part of a historic occasion like this.
Read: From day one, I thought we could win it, says Fazal
Q - Having a point to prove:
A - I won’t call it redemption, but I will say that my decision to move from Karnataka to Vidarbha has been justified. It has been a success for both me and the team. However, I hold no grudges against anyone, nor do I have nothing to prove to anyone. I’m just happy that after my Karnataka stint, Vidarbha gave me the opportunity to play cricket day in and day out. That’s all I really wanted.
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Q - Bring that winning mentality to Vidarbha:
A - In Karnataka, you are expected to win every single game. This was instilled in me many years ago, right from the time I represented the Karnataka under-14 team. When I played for the Karnataka Ranji side, we didn't settle for anything less than a win. I’ve brought that same winning mentality to Vidarbha.
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Q - Fine personal form (two centuries and three fifties this season):
A - I must thank my childhood coach in Bengaluru, Rajesh Kamath. He has worked with me for 19 years now. My batting is what he has taught me. I also spent a week with (Vidarbha teammate) Wasim Jaffer in Mumbai, before the season started. He gave me many useful tips.
READ: Jaffer: 'Will play as long as fitness allows me'
Q - Key to Vidarbha’s success:
A - At the start of the season, I had a feeling that we would accomplish something special. The self-belief, team bonding – there was something extra. It helped a great deal that our training camp started early, in April. I feel that the biggest difference was that everyone contributed on the field. We had four batsmen (Sanjay Ramaswamy, Faiz Fazal, Wasim Jaffer and Satish) in the top-15 run-scorers of the tournament, and three bowlers (Rajneesh Gurbani, Akshay Wakhare and Aditya Sarwate) among the wickets.
Q - Role of coach Chandrakant Pandit:
A - Chandru sir brings out the best in everyone. From day one, he has told us clearly that we have what it takes to win the Ranji Trophy.
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