Rajasthan
Rajasthan: Rajasthan Qualify for Hazare Quarterfinals After 17 Years | Jaipur News
Jaipur: Rajasthan senior men’s team is in high spirits and why not? Courtesy their fifth win on the trot that came on Sunday in Chandigarh after they beat Himachal Pradesh by 43 runs, the team is bubbling with energy and enthusiasm as they look to play the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time in 17 years.
Throughout the league stage, Rajasthanhave upstaged the opponents with an all-round show and the match against Himachal was no different.Made to bat first, it was rookie Ram Mohan Chauhan’s laborious 110-ball 61 at the top while captain Deepak Hooda’s 77 off 90 balls in the middle-order which held the innings together. Later, it was Karan Lamba’s whirlwind knock of unbeaten 51 off 30 balls that took Rajasthan to 260/7 in 50 overs.
Spearheading the bowling attack, left-arm pacers Aniket Choudhary along with Khaleel Ahmed (8-1-22-1) gave no room to the Himachal batters and they succumbed under pressure. Aniket stood out with impressive figures of 10-2-44-4.
There is still one group match to go against Assam, but Rajasthan’s unbeaten streak has earned them 20 points and they sit pretty on the Group D points table. Gujarat stand second with 14 points after five games.
This is a deja vu moment for Rajasthan head coach Anshu Jain who was a part of the team when they qualified for the quarterfinals and went on to play the final of the domestic one-dayers in 2006-07 season. “That time I was a Rajasthan player and now I am the coach. This is a great feeling. In the 2006-07 season, we played the final but lost it to Mumbai. Hope this time we lift the trophy. I am keeping my fingers crossed,” said Anshu.
The coach did not miss praise captain Deepak Hooda, who has played a crucial role in Rajasthan’s impressive run in the tournament so far. “Deepak is a very good leader who leads by example. Even during the practice sessions, you will see, he works the hardest. This inspires everyone else to do well. In five league games, he has played three match-winning knocks. I will say that Deepak has made my job easier,” the coach said.
It was under Hooda’s captaincy that the state team made it to the pre-quarterfinals in the 2021-22 season. With 287 runs to his name in five games that includes a century and two half-centuries, the 28-year-old right-hand batter is currently Rajasthan’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing tournament.
The head coach mentioned that this time around the support from Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) was immense and the selectors also did a fine job.
Rajasthan missed out on the services of fast bowler Deepak Chahar in the last two games because of his international commitments. During their knockout game in Rajkot, they will also lose left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who will leave to join India A for the South Africa tour. But Anshu is unperturbed. “It’s a matter of great pride that two players from the state have to miss out as they are representing the country. This motivates others to aim big,” added Rajasthan coach.
The Hazare quarterfinals will be played on December 11.
Throughout the league stage, Rajasthanhave upstaged the opponents with an all-round show and the match against Himachal was no different.Made to bat first, it was rookie Ram Mohan Chauhan’s laborious 110-ball 61 at the top while captain Deepak Hooda’s 77 off 90 balls in the middle-order which held the innings together. Later, it was Karan Lamba’s whirlwind knock of unbeaten 51 off 30 balls that took Rajasthan to 260/7 in 50 overs.
Spearheading the bowling attack, left-arm pacers Aniket Choudhary along with Khaleel Ahmed (8-1-22-1) gave no room to the Himachal batters and they succumbed under pressure. Aniket stood out with impressive figures of 10-2-44-4.
There is still one group match to go against Assam, but Rajasthan’s unbeaten streak has earned them 20 points and they sit pretty on the Group D points table. Gujarat stand second with 14 points after five games.
This is a deja vu moment for Rajasthan head coach Anshu Jain who was a part of the team when they qualified for the quarterfinals and went on to play the final of the domestic one-dayers in 2006-07 season. “That time I was a Rajasthan player and now I am the coach. This is a great feeling. In the 2006-07 season, we played the final but lost it to Mumbai. Hope this time we lift the trophy. I am keeping my fingers crossed,” said Anshu.
The coach did not miss praise captain Deepak Hooda, who has played a crucial role in Rajasthan’s impressive run in the tournament so far. “Deepak is a very good leader who leads by example. Even during the practice sessions, you will see, he works the hardest. This inspires everyone else to do well. In five league games, he has played three match-winning knocks. I will say that Deepak has made my job easier,” the coach said.
It was under Hooda’s captaincy that the state team made it to the pre-quarterfinals in the 2021-22 season. With 287 runs to his name in five games that includes a century and two half-centuries, the 28-year-old right-hand batter is currently Rajasthan’s leading run-scorer in the ongoing tournament.
The head coach mentioned that this time around the support from Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) was immense and the selectors also did a fine job.
Rajasthan missed out on the services of fast bowler Deepak Chahar in the last two games because of his international commitments. During their knockout game in Rajkot, they will also lose left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, who will leave to join India A for the South Africa tour. But Anshu is unperturbed. “It’s a matter of great pride that two players from the state have to miss out as they are representing the country. This motivates others to aim big,” added Rajasthan coach.
The Hazare quarterfinals will be played on December 11.
