Ranji Trophy | Winning tournament is like going all the way back down memory lane, says Umesh Yadav

On Thursday morning, Vidarbha became only the sixth team to successfully defend a Ranji Trophy title and that turned out even sweeter for them because it came at their home ground - the VCA Stadium in Nagpur in front of the presence of a fair number of supporters. While many members had felt that moment earlier, when Vidarbha won the title in 2017-18 season, Umesh Yadav was not there last time around, having been a part of the squad for India’s tour of South Africa. 

However, the lady luck shone on him this year as he became the team’s premier bowler in the quarter-final and semi-final, and although he didn’t have to do much in the final, he was extremely emotional at the end. Often a calm and laid back person in nature, Umesh couldn’t control his emotions and celebrated hard and later told that it was like going all the way back to his childhood days when he started playing cricket.

“Generally when you return from playing for the national team and then play domestic cricket, motivation can be an issue. But for me, it was always on my mind that last time even though I played in the semi-final, I couldn’t play the final as I had to leave for the tour of South Africa.

“But when you perform well in two knockout matches and then the team reaches the final and you get to lift the trophy, all the hard work feels worth it. It really pays off and it becomes a proud moment. I can now say I have won the Ranji Trophy for my state team. To win the championship is like going all the way back down memory lane and thoughts of how I started for this team in the domestic level and the rise through the ranks all comes back,” Yadav told Hindustan Times.

At a time when the Ranji Trophy is just a feeder for the Test team and hold a little emotional value for the cricketers, Umesh is proud that he can now boast of being part of a Ranji winning team.

“Definitely, the other members of the team had managed to achieve the feat last time round while I had to wait for a year. To win the historic series in Australia and to then come back and win the Ranji Trophy is like a dream come true. It is like ticking the goals. Looks like the journey is going well and the World Cup is round the corner, so fingers crossed for that as well. After all, that will be the biggest moment if we can win the showpiece event,” the pacer said.