Mumbai-based former Jammu & Kashmir pacer Deepak Pandit said J&K’s maiden entry into the Ranji Trophy final is extra special as heavy snowfall restricts practice in Kashmir for nearly six months each year. Pandit backed the team to beat Karnataka cricket team in the title clash in Hubballi and praised pacer Auqib Nabi for his match-winning 9-wicket
Deepak Pandit
Mumbai-based former Jammu & Kashmir pacer Deepak Pandit believes J&K’s maiden entry into the Ranji Trophy final is extra special given the snow factor in the region restricts year-round training.
“It’s really tough to practice throughout the year as there is snow for almost six months in Kashmir. That’s why this achievement [maiden Ranji final entry] is a dream come true for cricketers from the region. J&K have been consistent performers in the last few years, and I have no doubt that we will beat Karnataka in the final [beginning in Hubballi on February 24],” Pandit, who represented the J&K senior team between 1982 and 1988 after coming through the ranks in the U-19 and U-22 age groups besides playing for North Zone, told mid-day after pacer Auqib Nabi’s nine-wicket match haul (5-87 and 4-36) helped J&K beat Bengal by six wickets in the Ranji semi-final at Kalyani on Wednesday.
Pandit, who currently represents the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) on the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Apex Council, also credited BCCI chief Mithun Manhas for the J&K team’s success. “Credit should go to Mithun Manhas too as he has made a big difference in J&K cricket. Before becoming BCCI chief, he was an administrator [in JKCA] for five, six years during which he worked a lot for the region’s cricket and cricketers. Head coach Ajay Sharma also deserves credit for this achievement,” Pandit concluded.
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