'Raj always performs against Pakistan': Trainer Matapurkar

Rajvardhan Hangargekar (left) with his childhood trainer Tejas Matapurkar

India ‘A' pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar's match-winning fifer against Pakistan ‘A' in the Emerging Asia Cup encounter in Colombo on Wednesday, has delighted his childhood trainer Tejas Matapurkar.

Hangargekar's figures of 8-1-42-5 included dismissals of Pakistan opener Saim Ayub (0) and one-drop Omair Yousuf (0), when the arch-rivals had just nine runs on the board by the fourth over. Matapurkar reckoned it's a special performance. "This has to be Raj's best performance so far. He bowled exceptionally well today [Wednesday] against Pakistan. He did not take any pressure and I think that helped him in this high-pressure game. His pace and accuracy made all the difference," Matapurkar told mid-day from Pune on Wednesday.

Matapurkar reckoned his ward tends to put in that extra effort when it comes to Pakistan. "Yes, he [Hangargekar] comes up with something special whenever he plays against Pakistan. I remember the match against Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup [at Dubai in 2021] where he smashed five fours and a six [scoring a 20-ball 33 while batting at No. 10] and we won that match by two wickets," said Matapurkar.

Also Read: Cricket, quite the gentleman's game?

Hangargekar and Matapurkar recently joined the same team in the MPL (Maharashtra Premier League), where the pacer was leading the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Kings and Matapurkar was the team's trainer.

"He bowled very well in the MPL, but had just one wicket in four matches. But this match-winning spell against Pakistan shows he has a strong mindset to bounce back when it matters most. Since he played the U-19 World Cup [in 2022] and in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, his fitness as well as bowling skills have improved immensely. He has not missed a single game due to injury and that's a good sign for a pace bowler," he signed off.