Ranji Trophy: From outsiders to title contenders – how J&K scripted a remarkable run

New Delhi, Feb 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) 67 years after Jammu & Kashmir first appeared in the Ranji Trophy, they now stand on the verge of winning the title when they take on Karnataka in the title clash in Hubbali starting on Tuesday. Not long ago, using Jammu & Kashmir and playing the Ranji Trophy final is something anyone wouldn’t have written in the same sentence.

For decades, J&K team was a footnote in Indian domestic cricket - a team that showed up, occasionally surprised, and went home. At best, they were termed party spoilers, while hosting games was more of a tourism package for the visiting sides after pocketing an easy win.

Now, on the eve of playing their first-ever Ranji Trophy final, everyone is rooting for them to achieve championship glory. The journey to reach here has been a hard way - after losing to Mumbai in Srinagar, which stung them hard, J&K beat Rajasthan at home, before going on to beat Delhi in Delhi and defeat Hyderabad in Jammu.

Draws over Chhattisgarh, Pondicherry and Himachal Pradesh ensured J&K finished as second-best team in Elite Group D with 24 points. Once knockouts arrived, J&K brought on their A-game by beating Madhya Pradesh in Indore and defeating Bengal in Kalyani. Now J&K stands as a team that no longer fears anyone.

"The mood is very, very confident and boys are enjoying the moment because it's a very, very big thing for us. In last two games, whatever I've seen is that playing against many big names, they are not at all bothered. They are saying that, 'We'll see them on the ground,’" said bowling coach P. Krishnakumar to IANS from Hubbali.

J&K’s run to the Ranji Trophy final did not happen overnight. It took five years, including a heart-break of missing out on quarter-final due to Kerala taking one-run lead last time, a restructured administration, carefully assembled coaching staff, and a group of young men from the valleys and plains of J&K willing to outwork everyone else.

"Reaching here is not easy for a team which was not even in the map of Indian cricket and is now one of the dominant teams of the country, especially, in the bowling part, as this is the number one bowling side in the country. As a bowling coach, I'm very proud of how the boys have responded. I always believe I'm a resource for the boys - they use our knowledge, experience, and they move and grow," added Krishnakumar.

One of Krishnakumar's first acts upon joining J&K team was to study the people, their culture, history and temperament. "It really helped me to know how the Jammu and Kashmiri people are? It gave me the edge as I knew that Kashmiris are a little calm, quiet and prefer to stay behind because they have faced so many hardships in their life and they are slightly laid-back type of guys who don't want to be in the limelight.

“Jammu people are different because they go out to Delhi and different places in the country to play. So they are a little khule (open-minded) and understanding that really helped me as I planned my sessions accordingly."

"To the Kashmiris, I had to give them a lot of motivation and make them feel that they are very good. Then what happened was that trust developed between the players and the coach and that again is a very, very important part," he said.

The results of that trust-building are visible in the numbers. Since Krishnakumar joined, J&K have been a stellar bowling unit, with pacer Auqib Nabi their leading wicket-taker with 55 scalps and having a Rs 8.4 crore IPL contract with Delhi Capitals. His new ball partner, left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar has 29 scalps while left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq has 20 scalps.

A big reason behind J&K’s resurgence has been the dismantling of the inferiority complex - the quiet but crippling sense that certain opponents were simply beyond them. "Cricket is a game and a fight between two skilled players. What happens is, if suppose you're bowling to Sachin Tendulkar, and your skill is not matching with his skill, obviously what happens is, he's going to win the battle.

“As a bowling coach, what I've done is, I've developed their skills so that they are able to match against the skills of other good batters. If the batsman is inferior, they just run through the teams and that means, their skill level has gone up.

“When their skill is now matching with the top players of the country, they are able to get them out and bowl well against very good teams. Automatically what happens is, their inferiority complex goes away and it will only go when it's on the ground only," elaborated Krishnakumar.

That dismantling has contributed to J&K brimming with tons of self-belief. "It can't go off by reading books or anything. Yes, it helps, but at the end of the day, it is the practical thing you have to face and then only you can get out of that fear of inferiority and complex goes off.

“So that is what has happened as now Jammu & Kashmir are defeating the top teams of the country. Now that belief has developed in the boys that 'Yes, we can do it.' Basically this is what we did as coaches - I worked on the skills of the bowlers and now it's easy for them to play well against the good players," added Krishnakumar.

Krishnakumar's coaching philosophy is rooted in simplicity and that was spectacularly vindicated in the semi-final win over Bengal, where Paras Dogra-led J&K dismissed them for just 99 in the second innings - four wickets each for Auqib and Sunil Kumar - to set up a victory that sent their dressing room into raptures and their supporters all around to tears of immense joy.

"When we got out, almost three days were left in the game, which goes to nearly 270 overs. So we gave them a very simple plan - you have to bowl in the right areas. Because I knew that my bowlers are so skilled - if they bowl in the right areas, I was very sure that they will get them out.

“But by God's grace, it was a miracle that they got them out for 99. It doesn't happen many times as it's very rare that a team like Bengal gets out for 99. That time, luck also favoured us and the bowlers bowled brilliantly in the right areas because they're able to swing the ball both ways. So accordingly, the only thing we told them was just you have to bowl in the right areas and that's it," he elaborated.

That study of culture of J&K people has come handy in how Krishnakumar speaks to his bowlers. "If you look at the system of Jammu and Kashmir, most of the boys are into sports only and are not high on studies. So the thing is, as a coach, we have to see that also and look at the IQ of the boy - that is very, very important.

“That's why in the last three years, I give them very, very simple plans and things to follow. Very clearly, I tell them, this is what you have to do and that is working for the boys, because they are also not confused and their mind is very clear that this is what we have to do."

"The way they have developed and worked very hard in three years – like Auqib and Yudhvir. Even Sunil has come a long way, he has worked very hard. I have specific skills sessions with them and that has really helped as these brilliant performances are coming. While Nabi is very calm, Yudhvir is more of an aggressive type of guy while Sunil is another guy who's very calm," he elaborated.

The foundation of J&K's rise was laid before Krishnakumar and coaches were hired. He reserved special credit for Mithun Manhas, the former batter who represented both Delhi and J&K and was in the state’s sub-committee before taking over as BCCI President last year.

"I will give the credit first of all to Mithun Minhas. He is a very, very important person in this whole set-up and developed entire system in Jammu & Kashmir due to which everything is very structured. I would also appreciate Brigadier (Anil Gupta, Retired) sir, who looked after the administration part. He also bought a system – like things happen via email and proper squads should be there.

“These are small, but very important things and would first give the credit to both of them. Mithun gets more nod because he was looking after the cricket part and he gave the freedom to choose the right person for right post. He bought in the right coaches, like Ajay Sharma as the head coach, then me and fielding coach Dishant Yagnik."

Krishnakumar also flagged the role of Yagnik and Sharma in creating an environment of togetherness in the J&K set-up. "I would also appreciate Dishant Yagnik's work as his role pata nahi chalta bahar se (isn't much visible from the outside). But his role has been very, very instrumental in the development of Jammu and Kashmir team.

“He has done a fantastic job and because of the fielding, our bowling has gone up as if fielders don't take catches, then it's difficult to win matches. Apart from Dishant being fantastic, Ajay bhai has also definitely given us the freedom and space to work – like whatever you want to do, go ahead as per that.

“As the head of this family, he has done a good job. But I would definitely give a nod to Mithun Manhas for his vision and starting all of this when he was brought into the Jammu and Kashmir system."

When the season began, the coaching staff gave the players a single instruction: take one match at a time. That instruction, Krishnakumar says, has held through every game, every victory and every surge of excitement that could so easily have become a distraction.

"The semi-final win is all absorbed. When we started the season, we told the boys 'You have to take one match at a time.' Even if you win the final also, you have to be the same because the next season, you have to start again. That semi-final win was very emotional part of our journey. But now we have come back to normal and we are very sure that we'll give a good fight to Karnataka and bring home the trophy."

What winning the Ranji Trophy for the players, state, and scores of young people watching the final on TV & livestream would do is something Krishnakumar finds difficult to put into words. But he did give it a decent try.

"I think, I don't have words for that because that will be something magical happening for Jammu and Kashmir. Not only for cricket, but for other games as well because this game motivates millions of people in India. If Jammu and Kashmir wins the trophy, it will develop a vibe in the whole state and a lot of boys will start dreaming of playing for Jammu and Kashmir.

“They will think about being in the team one day and that’s very important as cricket being a popular game in India, seeing the win will give them confidence and make people to dream about playing for the state. I think this will change the whole culture of Jammu and Kashmir and I hope this happens on February 28. I strongly feel this as I am getting that vibe of it's going to come to us this year, definitely."

On the brink of playing the final in Hubballi, there is a quiet conviction in the J&K camp. From knocking on doors of being taken seriously to knocking over giants, their resurgence has been built on togetherness, hard work and the stubborn attitude to make things happen.

While Karnataka are eight-time champions chasing their first title in a decade, J&K are chasing something they have never had in 67 years of their existence in first-class cricket. Whatever the result, this much is certain: J&K are no longer hopeful outsiders - they firmly belong here amongst the heavyweights.

Source: IANS