As the Vidarbha cricketers reached the dressing room to celebrate their victory, the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) announced that the players will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 3 crore, apart from the Rs 2 crore prize money declared by the BCCI.
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While the players rejoiced the moment, VCA vice-president Prashant Vaidya fondly remembered the time when coach Chandrakant Pandit asked him about the reward. “That was the first day Chandu landed in Nagpur. Before the papers were being processed, he asked me, what would happen to the prize money that the association would get after the Ranji Trophy. I was stunned,” Vaidya said with a smile.
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“I asked him to repeat what he just said. I told him that we will definitely share. But at the back of my mind, I was surprised that this man was already thinking about the trophy and the prize money,” Vaidya, a former India international said.
That was the first time, he felt that under Pandit, Vidarbha can ultimately go on to win the tournament. “If a man could think that way then it was evident that he was only thinking about winning the title. From that very day, I was optimistic about our chances in the tournament,” Vaidya said.
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He also believes that things will only improve from here. “Process takes time. We had the VCA Academy in 2009. It is how the process started. Chandu’s presence is the big thing. I have been after him for some time, but we could not get him earlier. Now that he is here, the result says it all,” Vaidya said, making it clear that this win will motivate the youngsters in other age groups.
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