Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Tamil Nadu coach Kulkarni calls on senior players to take more responsibility after defeat against Gujarat

Pacers T. Natarajan, who missed the first game due to a recurring knee issue, and Kuldeep Sen, who joined TN from Madhya Pradesh ahead of the season, will miss the next game as well.

Vijay Shankar in action during second day of the Ranji Trophy match between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in Valsad. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI/THE HINDU

Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni minced no words after his side’s 111-run loss to Gujarat in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy in Valsad on Monday.

“It was a bad game, and we batted very poorly. The seniors in the team have to take more responsibility and show hunger to win games,” said Kulkarni.

“Mohammed and Sandeep Warrier showed if you are willing to spend time in the middle, you can score. So, I expect the batters to come up with a better performance next time,” he added.

Meanwhile, there will be four changes in the squad for the next game against Tripura as B. Sai Sudharsan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul have been selected for India A, while Washington Sundar is part of India’s T20 squad for the three-match series against Afghanistan. Promising batters Mohammed Ali (U-19), A. Badrinath and M. Boopathi Vaishnav Kumar (both under-23), who have done well in the age-category BCCI tournaments, are set to replace the trio.

Meanwhile, pacer T. Natarajan, who missed the first game at the last minute due to a recurring knee issue, will also not travel with the team, with Ajay Krishna set to replace him.

Kuldeep Sen, who joined TN from Madhya Pradesh ahead of the season, will miss the next game as well for personal reasons.