This year, only four Mumbai cricketers—Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan and Shams Mulani—find themselves in the squad
Tushar Deshpande and Tanush Kotian
There was a time when the West Zone team enjoyed the presence of several Mumbai players. For example, the playing XI that beat South Zone in the 1985-86 Duleep Trophy final at Bangalore had as many as seven Mumbai men. Only last year, there were six city players in the XI, which beat South Zone in the final at Coimbatore.
This year, only four Mumbai cricketers—Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan and Shams Mulani—find themselves in the squad.
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Pacer Tushar Deshpande and gutsy all-rounder Tanush Kotian too could have been part of the West Zone team, led by Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal, but they have missed out.
CSK’s top wicket-taker
Deshpande claimed 23 wickets in six Ranji Trophy games in the 2022-23 season. He also emerged IPL-16 champions Chennai Super Kings’s top wicket-taker with 21 scalps. But all this has only led to him being among the five stand-byes. “I am in top form, bowling at 140kmph plus consistently and taking wickets. Not only me, everyone was expecting my name in the West Zone team. It’s surprising to not be part of the squad,” Deshpande told mid-day on Saturday. Interestingly, Baroda all-rounder Atit Sheth, who played only one Ranji game last season and scored an unbeaten 140 against Nagaland apart from claiming four wickets in the match with his medium pace, is in the West Zone team.
Gujarat’s left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla is another player to be picked in the zonal team after playing only one game—versus Tripura against whom he picked up four wickets in the match. “I am speechless [on not getting picked], but I will keep working hard to perform consistently,” Deshpande remarked.
Kotian, it can be recalled, scored 93 for Mumbai against Maharashtra in a do-or-die Ranji game despite a severe hand injury. “It’s shocking. The way I performed in the Ranji Trophy this season, I was expecting my name in the West Zone team. In only four Ranji matches, I took 20 wickets,” said Kotian, who was Mumbai’s fifth-highest run-getter with 303 last season.
‘Won’t focus on my selection’
Kotian was also part of West Zone’s 2022-23 Duleep Trophy-winning team for whom he claimed five wickets across the semi-final and final. “I will not focus on my selection which is not in my hands. I will just concentrate on giving my best and enjoy the game,” Kotian added.
Also Read: Jaiswal, Shaw in West Zone squad for Duleep Trophy
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