Mumbai under-25 team have grieving coach Pawar to thank

Hardik Tamore

The Hardik Tamore-led Mumbai U-25 team that entered the final of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy on Wednesday must be grateful to their coach, Rajesh Pawar, for his selflessness.

Pawar lost his mother on March 12, just five days before the team left for the tournament in Ahmedabad. The team would have been without a coach at the last minute had a grieving Pawar decided not to travel. However, his wife and sisters coaxed him to join the team. "It was a very tough time for me. Although my mother was critical, she was aware of my schedule and was keen that I join the team. I missed the first match [v Manipur, March 22 to 25] and joined the team from the second game onwards after completing all the rituals. My wife and sisters insisted that I carry on with my duty as it was my mother's wish. I'm glad that we've reached the final. This is always the first goal for any team at the start of a season. Now, the aim is to win the tournament," Pawar, 42, told mid-day.

On Wednesday, Mumbai beat Rajasthan by 208 runs in the semi-final at Ahmedabad's Motera Stadium. Mumbai posted 288 in the first innings, thanks to skipper Tamore's 87 and opener Bhupen Lalwani's 72. Rajasthan were then bundled out for 103 with Shams Mulani taking 6-27 and Minad Manjrekar returning 3-25. In the second outing, Mumbai scored 251 with Saksham Jha scoring a valuable 66 at No.8. Rajasthan managed just 228, with Mulani (5-71) excelling again. Mumbai will face the winner of the second semi-final between Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha.