No, we are not referring to the Indian Premier League team, but the stalwarts who gave off their best, but couldn't win the Ranji Trophy like Hrishikesh Kanitkar's men did on Saturday <table style="width: 144px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="144" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2011/jan/16durani.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> Durrani and Hanumant gave their all for Rajasthan</td></tr></tbody></table>Rajasthan has finally clinched the Ranji Trophy (under Pune man Hrishikesh Kanitkar) and there will be several die-hards up there and down here, who will raise their glasses to that! Only last week, I spent some glorious moments of cricketing nostalgia mixed with romanticism with the Maharana 'Shriji' Arvind Singh Mewar in Udaipur. The king of the 19-gun salute state (an honour bestowed by the British Raj) loves his cricket. His British education and princely upbringing makes him an eloquent speaker on the game, its history and the little pearls of anecdotes that make cricket a listener's delight. He traced the genesis of 'professional' cricketers being hired by the state in the 1960's to elevate cricketing standards in Rajasthan. Speaking to 'Shriji' on cricket is more than treasured education. His 'modernised' outlook makes him a romantic without the usual touch of cynicism that seems to haunt many who have seen cricket in the 'unbranded' era. Professionalism The erstwhile Maharana, the late Bhagwat Singh, the father of Shriji, was a pioneer in inducting professional cricketers into Rajasthan. The script of professional cricket was being written in the 1940s and somewhere, the Indian Premier League was being conceived in a different era. Shriji spoke fondly of the fearless genius of Vinoo Mankad, the guile and artistry of Subhashu00a0 Gupte, the batting intelligence of Vijay Manjrekar, the class of 'Chotu' Hanumant Singhu00a0 or the maverick brilliance ofu00a0 prince Salim Durrani (on and off the field). The depth of knowledge was cosmic and something to relish. His reading of these greats was like clearing the haze off a blurred windscreen of one of his many Rolls-Royce cars which he preserves with pride.u00a0 There was a glint of pride in 'Shriji's' eyes when I said I sensed Rajasthan would win the evasive Ranji Trophy. I could almost sense the unfinished dream that the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, Hanumant Singh chased all through their lives along with many others who wanted Rajasthan to lay their hands on the Ranji Trophy. Champagne breakfast He did state, during our conversation, that his old friends would uncork the bubbly over a champagne breakfast in happier worlds that they were in. Rajasthan has finally done it. The mutiny that erupted in a quest for the Ranji Trophy in the 1960's has unfolded in 2011. The current generation has a lot to thank as the old guard for Ranji is back, or will be back, to the Princely states. The Rajasthani welcome songu00a0 "Padharo Maare Desh" can't be more fitting as the Ranji Trophy enters Mewar for the first time!

No, we are not referring to the Indian Premier League team, but the stalwarts who gave off their best, but couldn't win the Ranji Trophy like Hrishikesh Kanitkar's men did on Saturday

Rajasthan cricket has come a long way

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Rajasthan cricket has come a long way

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