It's an amazing coincidence that the man whose record Amol Muzumdar broke to become the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy was his opponent in debut game.
It's an amazing coincidence that the man whose record Amol Muzumdar broke to become the highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy was his opponent in debut game.
Muzumdar made his Ranji debut in 1993 against an Amarjt Kaypee-led Haryana at Faridabad where he made an unbeaten 260 in the pre-quarter-final clash. "It was a brilliant debut. Amol's footwork was very impressive, especially against the spinners. He was stepping out beautifully against the slow bowlers, perfectly carrying out what we call 1-2-3 in batting parlance. He showed good temperament and technique. It looked like he would play for India," recalled Kaypee, who played 109 Ranji games and aggregated 7623 runs at an average of 54.06, scoring 27 centuries and 33 half centuries.
"He should have played for India. It's unfortunate that like me, he did not. I am sure it rankles him. It is the biggest setback of my career; something which will hurt me till I live. There are players who have played for India before playing Ranji Trophy," the former Punjab and Haryana batting legend said.
While international glory eluded Kaypee, he said like him, Muzumdar will feel very proud of the highest aggregate record. "You must play for a long while to get this record. It's not a 100m sprint where you clinch the mark by running one second faster. It needs consistency, dedication and fitness. Muzumdar is a true champion and records are meant to be broken," said Kaypee, who played from 1980-81 to 1999-2000.
"I held the record for 10 years and Muzumdar will hold that record for a long time to come because I don't see anyone playing for 20 years in contemporary cricket."
