Bengal face Delhi in their Ranji Trophy opener this Sunday at Kalyani. The team hopes for a fresh start after last season’s semifinal loss. Meanwhile, pacer Akash Deep returned from a long injury break. He said, “I am my own competitor. I am not worried about what the other bowlers are doing.”
Akash Deep (Getty Images)
Kalyani: Bengal return to their cricket academy ground in Kalyani, where their Ranji Trophy dream came crashing down in February, hoping to make a fresh start when they take on Delhi in their opening match of the new season on Sunday. Bengal suffered a semifinal defeat to eventual champions Jammu & Kashmir despite securing a first-innings lead last season. This time, they will look to turn the page at the same venue, with history offering an added incentive. Bengal’s last Ranji Trophy triumph came in 1989-90, when they defeated Delhi in the final. Delhi, meanwhile, have turned to Vijay Dahiya, reappointing the former India wicketkeeper as coach ahead of the campaign. Dahiya had guided Delhi to their last title in 2007-08 and will hope to revive a side that has struggled to progress beyond the group stage in recent seasons. “Nothing happens overnight. I am here to see the team is moving in the right direction,” Dahiya told TOI.
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Bengal will look to make a strong start, especially as they will be without their star pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who have been picked for the ‘A’ side for the New Zealand tour from the next match. Dahiya gave full respect to Bengal’s star pace duo, who will be joined by another experienced pacer in Mohammed Shami.I am my own competitor: Akash Deep After spending eight months on the sidelines with a lower-back stress injury, Akash Deep returned with a match haul of 6/68 to help Rest of India beat J&K in the Irani Cup. Akash Deep believes he has regained his rhythm and pace. “I am my own competitor. I am not worried about what the other bowlers are doing. You can never play cricket thinking about who will replace you. What I can do is produce a better version of myself and I am fully focused on doing that,” he said.