Madhya Pradesh has managed to reach the final of Ranji Trophy after 23 years. They defeated Bengal by 174 runs in the semi-finals. Now he will face 41-time Ranji Trophy winner Mumbai. They played a draw against Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai, but on the basis of their first innings lead, they were able to qualify for the final. Madhya Pradesh last reached the final of this biggest domestic tournament in 1998-99. Incidentally, the current coach of Madhya Pradesh, Chandrakant Pandit, was the captain of the Madhya Pradesh team at that time. Another memorable feat for Chandrakant Pandit’s CV will be if he manages to lead yet another unknown team to a title.
The Ranji Trophy final is scheduled to be played from 22 to 26 June 2022 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, even before the match, the debate about Chandrakant Pandit vs Amol Majumdar has started. Chandrakant Pandit is a former player and coach of Mumbai. He has also been the coach of the Mumbai Ranji Champions team. The special thing is that Amol Majumdar has played for Mumbai under Chandrakant Pandit’s coach.
Chandrakant Pandit told ‘The Indian Express’ after the semi-final, ‘Why Amol, think about what would be going through the mind of any Mumbaikar. Amol is an experienced player, he was with me, I have spent time with him. He knows my mind and I know his. We both together, this is the mind of the people of Mumbai, so let’s see what happens. No one is going to decide who is the best, who is not the best. I am happy that these boys are entering the finals after 20 years.
Amol Majumdar said, ‘It is a match, a final match. We are just focusing on the process. It starts from the dressing room and ends on the field. We are following this. We are not paying attention to what is happening outside. He added, “There is some great talent here (in the Mumbai Ranji team). I am happy with the way he has responded to the situation.
He said, ‘I always believed that as a coach you need to understand his mindset. Every player wants space. When I was a player, I needed space. As a coach, I believe in giving that space. I don’t interfere in his life after 6 pm.