As India‘s 2-match Test series against Sri Lanka has been pushed to March, India middle-order duo Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are all set for a Ranji Trophy stint with their respective state teams.
The duo’s future is unsure in India’s Test squad as they struggled for their form in the last year or so. Since January 2021, Pujara scored 810 runs in 30 innings with an average of 27.93 which included 7 fifties while Rahane scored only 547 runs with an average of 20.25 which included only 3 fifties. And since India faced a 1-2 defeat against South Africa, the selectors are likely to make some changes in the squad.
Both of them joined their respective state team camps to regain their form in Ranji Trophy. Mumbai coach Amol Majumdar told the media that Rahane has been practicing with the team as he is looking forward to turn things around.
“Ajinkya is definitely looking forward to it. We have met a few times now, he has been practicing with the Mumbai team. He has had about a couple of sessions already. Looked absolutely in fine touch,” Amol Majumdar spoke to PTI.
“We don’t have to look too much into the future but what is lying ahead of us is Ranji Trophy. They both are due for a big one. I feel it is just a question of confidence. Sometimes batting is nothing but confidence. If you can regain that confidence somehow. It will come only if you score a big hundred,” he added.
Ranji Trophy will be held in two parts as the league stage is scheduled to take place from February 10 to March 15 while the knockouts will be played from May 30 to June 26.
Meanwhile, Pujara also hit the nets with their state team in Saurashtra. On Thursday he spent 90 minutes in the nets as he specifically asked the bowlers to bowl reverse swing.
“Pujara is not like other batters. He always has a specific plan when he walks into the nets. He is very meticulous in the way he trains. Today he wanted to practise against reverse swing which he may encounter in the Sri Lanka series,” Saurashtra coach Niraj Odedra spoke to media.
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