KOLKATA: Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar feels BCCI President Sourav Ganguly should initiate a revamp of the Duleep Trophy as players competing in the event seem more focussed on individual performances than their teams.
The batting maestro feels that team bonding is missing from the four-day tournament, which can be reinvented by bringing in four Ranji Trophy semifinalists along with two teams of promising U-19 and U-23 players.
“I want him (Ganguly) to consider looking at the Duleep Trophy…I feel Duleep Trophy is one tournament where one is getting to hear that players are possibly more focused on their own performances and what the next tournament is and they play accordingly,” Tendulkar told PTI in an exclusive interaction.
“For instance if there’s an IPL auction, or an upcoming T20 tournament or one-day, players end up playing in that mode and not for their team or looking at the need of the hour,” he said.
The Duleep trophy was a five-team zonal tournament but now features India Blue, India Green and India Red in a round-robin format.
Ganguly took charge as the BCCI president on October 23 and within a week, he convinced the Bangladesh Cricket Board to play their first ever Day/Night Test at Eden Gardens.
As the former captain gears up for the BCCI’s first Annual General Meeting on Sunday, Tendulkar wants him to spare some focus on Duleep Trophy.
“This is one change I would like to see because cricket has always been a team sport. It is all about team spirit bonding and playing together as a team. Not as individuals,” he said.
Explaining his idea on how to revamp the Duleep Trophy, Tendulkar said to get players to compete as a team, it should be held right after the Ranji Trophy finals and among the four semifinalists, who play the whole season together.
“Top four Ranji teams and there should be two more teams because there would be a number of teams with talented individuals but which did not qualify. You pick these players from various teams, also promote talented age-group players from Under-19 and Under-23.
“If there’s someone exceptionally talented U19 then you can look at those players. Bring them and have this tournament together.”
“So you have got the best of both. You have got four leading Ranji teams who have been playing together,” he added.
As BCCI technical committee chairman, Ganguly had experimented with the pink ball in the Duleep Trophy for the first time in 2015/16.
The domestic tournament was held under lights for three seasons, giving the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal the much-needed experience which came in handy during India’s first Day/Night Test against Bangladesh, which the home team won by innings and 46 runs. (agencies)
BIZ-GOLD-PRICE
Gold drops Rs 68 on rupee appreciation, weak demand
NEW DELHI, Nov 26:
Gold prices on Tuesday fell by Rs 68 to Rs 38,547 per 10 gram in the national capital on rupee appreciation and weak demand, according to HDFC Securities.
Gold had closed at Rs 38,615 per 10 gram on Monday, it said.
“Spot gold prices for 24 Karat in Delhi fell by Rs 68 on rupee appreciation and weak global prices. The spot rupee was trading around 16 paise stronger against the dollar during the day,” HDFC Securities Senior Analyst (Commodities) Tapan Patel said.
The absence of strong demand in physical market kept gold prices under pressure in India, he added.
The rupee on Tuesday appreciated by 8 paise to 71.66 against the US dollar in early trade propelled by foreign capital inflows and gains in domestic equity market.
Silver also fell marginally by Rs 39 to Rs 45,161 per kg from Rs 45,200 per kg in the previous trade.
In the global market, both gold and silver were trading flat at USD 1,455.30 per ounce and USD 16.88 per ounce, respectively.
“Gold prices dived to two weeks lows on restored confidence in US-China trade talks,” Patel said. (agencies)
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