Ranji Trophy | Comeback man Mokhade repays the faith

Even as Vidarbha went on a rampaging run last year en route its third Ranji title, Aman Mokhade had a tough time of it. After below-par performances in four games, he was dropped for the remainder of the season.

But the management ensured he remained in the squad and relished the feeling of triumph. Fast forward seven months, and Mokhade has repaid the faith with a blazing start to the season with two centuries (183 & 176), followed by a vital 80 against Tamil Nadu here on Sunday.

“The feeling is absolutely magical for me because it has been three important knocks for the team,” said Mokhade. “They (TN bowlers) came very hard at us in the first 10 overs, but I was happy to score off some good balls. After that, I was planning to take singles and build my innings.”

Mokhade also explained that he learnt a lot from being on the sidelines last year, which is helping him now. “I have to thank the management for keeping me in the squad last year because I learnt a lot seeing experienced players like Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey. I learnt how to perform in a crunch situation, especially in red-ball cricket. So I guess that’s helping me somehow, and it’s been a good three games so far.”