The excitement is palpable in the Kerala camp at the VCA Stadium on this humid afternoon. The team manager, Nazir Machan, is in great demand with the multiple television crews that have come from Kerala. He tells one channel after another how thrilled every player is about Kerala’s first-ever Ranji Trophy final. The team’s captain … Read more
Sachin Baby was unlucky on his Ranji Trophy debut. He had been batting impressively when he was run out for 32, going for a run that wasn’t there. That was in late 2009, against Andhra, in Thalassery. Some 15 years later, Lady Luck smiled on Sachin, now the Kerala captain, in another Ranji Trophy match. … Read more
The IPL snub was a bitter pill to swallow for Kerala players. Captain Sachin Baby believed that more players from the State deserved selection. At his first address to the team members before the Ranji Trophy season, Sachin Baby said that the goal was to qualify for the knockouts and it was the only way … Read more
Kerala captain Sachin Baby applauded the quality of his team after it batted out over a day to secure a draw against Madhya Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy match here at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday. “We have played our best cricket against all teams this season. I believe we are in a strong … Read more
Kerala Ranji captain Sachin Baby has made a steady recovery from the groin injury he suffered during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament. The 36-year-old, who suffered the injury while batting against Mumbai, has started his rehabilitation and is confident of regaining full fitness before Kerala’s crucial Ranji Trophy ties against Madhya Pradesh and Bihar … Read more
After nearly a decade of unfulfilled promise, Salman Nizar is finally realising his potential. The 27-year-old stocky left-hander has struck a purple patch for Kerala this season in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy cricket tournaments. A prolific scorer for Kerala at the junior level, Salman struggled to replicate the same form at … Read more
A few hours after being dismissed for a well-made 83 against Uttar Pradesh in the fourth round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, Kerala skipper Sachin Baby got a call from his former team manager Saji N. “Saji Sir told me I could have scored a hundred and that if I had done so, I … Read more