Sachin Tendulkar Inspires Mumbai Cricket Team with Q&A Session Ahead of Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal
Sachin Tendulkar Inspires Mumbai Cricket Team with Q&A Session Ahead of Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal
Mumbai: In a morale-boosting move ahead of their crucial Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Karnataka, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar held a special question-and-answer session with the Mumbai team at the Mumbai Cricket Association's ground in BKC on Wednesday morning. The session, which lasted 30-40 minutes, featured players like captain Shardul Thakur, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, run-machine Sarfaraz Khan, in-form Siddhesh Lad, and pacer Tushar Deshpande, all listening intently to the 'God of Cricket's' wisdom.
The interactive format allowed players and coaches to pose questions on various aspects of the game. Topics ranged from approach and preparation to developing a winning mindset and managing pressure in high-stakes situations. Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai captain, described the event as, “We were lucky to be graced by Sachin sir’s presence in the dressing room today. Rather than just a pep talk from him, it was more of a ‘question and answer’ session. All the players and respective coaches asked him a variety of questions... Sachin sir’s guidance has always proved to be vital for the Mumbai team, and all the boys feel happy that they had some words of wisdom from the very best.”
Siddhesh Lad, currently the fifth-highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy with 737 runs in seven matches at an average of 92.12, including four consecutive centuries, shared his takeaways: “It was a very nice, interactive session. We asked him a lot of questions. Our physio asked him how he managed to play cricket with so many injuries. Sharing his experience, he said that he didn’t get fazed by injuries and treated them as a part of the game. We also asked him how he dealt with the pressure of expectations.”
Shams Mulani, another key player, highlighted the motivational impact: “It was very motivating that a player like Sachin sir, known as the ‘God of cricket’, came to meet us and shared his experiences with us. We questioned him about how to handle situations, how to handle pressure games, and how to convert fifties into hundreds. He also shared some tips about batting, bowling, and fielding as well. Just listening to how he handled himself in domestic cricket after playing international cricket was motivating... Even if we implement 2% of what he told us, we will play well in the Ranji knockouts.”
Tendulkar's guidance emphasized resilience, particularly in dealing with injuries and expectations, drawing from his own illustrious career. The session is expected to energize the team as they prepare for the match starting Friday.
Formidable Karnataka Squad Set for Showdown
The Karnataka team, led by captain Devdutt Padikkal, presents a star-studded challenge. The lineup includes India’s Test opener KL Rahul, returning Karun Nair (who missed a recent game due to a hand injury), former captain Mayank Agarwal, R Smaran, and pacer Prasidh Krishna. Karnataka previously defeated Mumbai by 55 runs (via the VJD method) in the January Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
India A Coaching Appointments
In related cricket news, M Venkataramana, former Tamil Nadu off-spinner who played one Test and one ODI between 1988-89 and claimed 247 first-class wickets at an average of 29.63, has been appointed as the head coach for the India A team ahead of T20 World Cup warm-up matches. Joining him is Vineet Saxena, ex-Rajasthan and Uttarakhand opener with 7,637 first-class runs at 36.89 including 17 centuries, as the batting coach. Saxena featured in 129 first-class matches.