Sunil Gavaskar hails Mumbai team

Vighnesh Shahane, CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, Dilip Vengsarkar, vice-president of Mumbai Cricket Association, Milind Rege, chief selector, MCA, Karthik Raman, chief marketing officer, IDBI Insurance, Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar, secretary, MCA, along with the Mumbai U-23 cricket team for winning the Col. C K Nayudu Trophy 2015-16 . (Photo: Asian Age)

The winning Mumbai Ranji team got words of encouragement from none other than legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in Mumbai on Wednesday night. The former India and Mumbai captain was present at the felicitation ceremony organised by the Cricket Club of India to honour the Mumbai players who won the Ranji Trophy for the 41st time last month in Pune. The Ranji winning team was also awarded Rs 5 lakh by the CCI.

Mr Gavaskar had words of encouragement for tournament’s top scorer Shreyas Iyer (1,321) and Siddesh Lad who played a couple of breathtaking knocks in the season to take Mumbai out of the doldrums. He also praised skipper Aditya Tare and others and advised the boys to carry on the good work.

“I was following the game from Sydney. I was in touch with chief selector Milind Rege and was concerned at one time after Mumbai were struggling in the final against Saurashtra. But Lad played a good innings,” he said recollecting Lad’s 88 where he shared 103 last-wicket partnership with Balwinder Sandhu in Pune.

When asked how Mumbai has won 50 per cent of Ranji trophies, 41 times out of 82 and been in final 45 times with winning percentage of over 90 per cent, he said, “I sometimes think why we have not won Ranji Trophy 82 times,” Gavaskar quipped.

Earlier, the U-23 team was felicitated for winning the coveted Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy last week by IDBI Federal Life Insurance who awarded them a cash prize of Rs 20 lakh.

In addition to this, the company also awarded Rs 1 lakh each to Balvinder Sandhu, Shardul Thakur, Dhawal Kulkarni and Shreyas Iyer for their outstanding performance in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16. IDBI Federal Life Insurance also felicitated veteran journalist G.K. Menon for his incredible contribution to Indian sports journalism.

Last year, the company launched two bowling foundations, one in association with Mumbai Cricket Association and the other with Karnataka State Cricket Association, to develop fast bowlers.

Prominent former Mumbai players such as Amol Muzumdar, Pravin Amre and Paras Mhambrey while praising the boys hoped the youngsters will carry on the legacy of Mumbai cricket.