The ODI World Cup could have concluded over the weekend. But the one-day format shall be on the minds of the home cricket fraternity regardless of the cricket world transferring into the T20 mode, with a watch on subsequent yr’s T20 World Cup.
Interestingly, Punjab and Baroda – the 2 groups that confronted one another within the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) closing earlier this month – will revive their rivalry on Thursday within the opening matchday of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
On a cold Mohali night on November 6, Mandeep Singh’s Punjab halted Baroda’s good run in a high-scoring SMAT closing.
With the adjoining metropolis to Mumbai being the hometown of Punjab head coach Aavishkar Salvi, his household had delivered a home-cooked meal for the outfit.
But earlier than having fun with the meal, the Punjab boys slogged it out for nearly three hours on the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium. On the opposite aspect of the strip that’s been ready beneath the watchful eyes of BCCI-appointed curator Y. L. Chandrasekhar Rao of Hyderabad, Krunal Pandya’s lot skilled arduous with head coach Mukund Parmar and bowling coach S. Arvind monitoring carefully.
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Some could really feel that the Group E opening conflict shall be an instantaneous alternative for Baroda to settle the rating of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy closing loss. But the workforce isn’t it that means.
“It’s not a grudge match. It’s a fresh start to the new format. We are looking to continue the good work over the last month in the 50-over format and start off with a win,” mentioned Parmar, the Gujarat stalwart who took over the reins in the beginning of the season.
The match may also be a conflict between the Group E heavyweights, with Tamil Nadu – the third powerhouse within the group – set to start its marketing campaign on Saturday. Punjab shall be with out left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, one in every of its T20 triumph stars, who shall be representing India for the T20I sequence in opposition to Australia.
“It’s not the first time we are playing without Arshdeep. And in the last two-three years, we are used to facing a big opponent at the start of our Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign,” mentioned Mandeep. “I am confident that the weeklong preparation has enabled all the boys to adapt to the format and we hope to start off with a win.”
Thursday’s matches
- Punjab vs Baroda (Thane)
- Goa vs Madhya Pradesh (Brabourne Stadium)
- Bengal vs Nagaland (Bandra-Kurla Complex)
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com