Vidarbha skipper Akshay Wadkar rues not making it in any of the Duleep Trophy teams

Vidarbha’s Wadkar goes down on his knees to celebrate a hundred v Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final last March. Pic/Atul Kamble

Vidarbha skipper Akshay Wadkar, who scored a gutsy knock of 102 against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final last season, felt his fighting knock and season's performance went unnoticed. Vidarbha's wicketkeeper-batsman, who was not considered for any of the Duleep Trophy teams, said he will work hard to score more runs this season. "I scored 600-plus [637] runs last season. I scored a hundred against India's top team Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final at the Wankhede Stadium, but that went unnoticed. And apart from that hundred I had seven half-centuries last season. So I was expecting my name in one of the Duleep Trophy teams.

Also Read: "If we wanted to win Olympic medals, we need to score more field goals": PR Sreejesh

"It's human nature and anyone can get disappointed due to this and I am no exception," Wadkar told mid-day from Nagpur on Thursday. Though Wadkar missed the opportunity, his Vidarbha teammates - opener Atharva Taide (scored 584 runs last season) and pacer Aditya Thakare (35 wickets) got picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee and will be seen in action in captain Shreyas Iyer's Team D.

Wadkar, 30, was among the 12 top run-getters in the country in 2023-24. "After such performances, players can expect to get selected and [expect] a chance to play at the higher level and for the country. But now I have to think if there is anything I am lacking and what more do I need to do. Performances for Vidarbha is not enough [to get selected]. It could have been a different story had I been among the five top run-getters in India," remarked Wadkar.