No Kapadia in U-19 probables upsets Mane

Vinayak Mane and Pranay Kapadia

Parsee Gymkhana's head coach Vinayak Mane has questioned the omission of his ward Pranay Kapadia, an opening batsman, who the former Mumbai and India ‘A' felt deserved a place in the 30 U-19 probables picked recently for an off-season camp.

"If an U-19 boy scores a 28-ball 52 [in the Purshottam Shield] and has other scores of 70 and 80 odd as well as a 65 in difficult conditions during a ‘B' Division Kanga League game [in 2023], he should be looked at," Mane said of Kapadia's exploits.

Kapadia was the third highest run-getter with 307 in the recent U-19 Naren Tamhane Trophy. He was the top-scorer with 300 runs in U-19 KC Mahindra Shield last season.

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"He got three to four good knocks in open age cricket. If you are not going to consider club cricket, then why is the Mumbai Cricket Association investing so much in club cricket," Mane told mid-day on Thursday.

"It is shocking that runs are not the sole criteria. Pranay was a Top 3 run-getter in the recent U-19 tournament. He was the No.1 run-getter in a pool of 60 U-19 players last season. He is a fit cricketer. You put him through any fitness test and he will do well," Mane explained.

Mane, who played 57 first-class games, recalled benefiting from performing at the club level. "I got into the Mumbai probables because I scored 78 for Shivaji Park Youngsters against an Ajit Agarkar-led Cricket Club of India attack [in the July 30, 2000 Kanga League premier division game]. "I don't know why young players are being neglected [in this aspect] now." In October of that year, Mane made the Mumbai team for the season-opening Irani Cup game.

When mid-day approached Mumbai U-19 chief selector Deepak Jadhav for a comment on Kapadia, he said he was not permitted to talk to the press.