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Ahead of Ranji Trophy 2022 final against Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai captain Prithvi Shaw said that leading his side in the tournament is a matter of pride for him and he hopes to take the trophy home.
Mumbai, who are 41-time champions have reached their 47th Ranji Trophy final overall and their first since 2016-17. Their semi-final tie against Uttar Pradesh was a draw, with Mumbai advancing on basis of their first-innings lead. "It is proud to be a captain of Mumbai cricket team. Captaining the side in the Vijay Hazare trophy and now in Ranji, it is a proud moment for me. I hope to take the trophy back home," said Shaw in a pre-match press conference. Shaw said that it would be challenging to play against Chandrakant Pandit, the former Mumbai head coach who has now led Madhya Pradesh to their first Ranji finals since 1998-99 as a coach. "Chandu sir has done fine for MP as well, they have reached the finals after so many years. Congratulations to them," he added. The captain said that everyone in the team is in good form heading into the final, including batters Sarfaraz Khan and Armaan Jaffer, who were once his schoolmates. "It is about how we look at this game. It is gonna be a different kind of pressure for a lot of guys since we have a young team. Not many of them have played finals like these and are inexperienced. But I think they are ready for it, especially with what they have done in the league stages. We have got a talented and skilful side. Hopefully what they are achieving right now, they are able to carry on for one more game," he added. The captain expressed that he is not really satisfied with his own batting despite scoring a couple of fifties but feels good as a captain that his team is doing well. "As a captain, I have to take all the 21 members of the team. It is not only about me. It is only a matter of time that I middle the ball and get some big runs," he added. The captain revealed that he has told youngsters to just go out there on the field and enjoy their game during the finals. Shaw said that Mumbai is extremely privileged to have the former legendary batter Amol Muzumdar as their head coach and it is visible in their exceptional batting performances. "He is calm, we enjoy his company. It is a privilege listening to him," he added. (ANI)
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