Kolkata: Bengal cricket team captain Manoj Tiwary wants the team to stay focused ahead of the final of Ranji Trophy 2022-23, starting on Thursday, 16th November 2023 in Eden Gardens.
This can be a revenge seeking opportunity of the 2019-20 season for the Bengal boys. Saurashtra won the trophy at the same venue back then. Bengal won the title 22 years ago in the 1989-90 season under Sambaran Banerjee.
“There is always room for improvement, so we need to rectify the mistakes done in the previous games and give our best tomorrow. We may have lost to them in the final earlier but now it’s a different situation,” Bengal skipper Manoj said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Just 1⃣ sleep away from the #RanjiTrophy summit clash! ⏳
Bengal or Saurashtra – which team will come out on top? 🤔@CabCricket | @saucricket | #BENvSAU | #Final | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/WOmBJ2ZjPR
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 15, 2023
“The current position is absolutely fantastic for Bengal cricket and we will aim to push it further upwards. All the players have contributed well this season and this is the beauty of Bengal,” he said.
“We have won the title long back. Obviously, we are aware of that, but we don’t want to think much about that win and compare that team with this. We are focused on what we need to do in this match and come out as champions.
“As a captain I didn’t think I would come this far to take team to final and on threshold of trophy. Obviously as a player I had dream of it but to be able to lead the side and come this far is special,” Manni signed off.
"There is a long way to go still. We have not yet achieved anything great so that we can celebrate. I can only say the boys are playing well and captain Manoj Tiwary is leading from the front," Head Coach #LRShukla, on #Bengal entering the final of #RanjiTrophy.#CAB pic.twitter.com/vGZghpmbmU
— CABCricket (@CabCricket) February 12, 2023
However, skipper Jaydev Unadkat is confident in his team’s chances and believes that Saurashtra will benefit greatly from having him in the lineup for the championship game.
“I will rate the pitch as a sporting one. We will witness a good game of cricket. The bowlers and batsmen will both get assist from the pitch. We have a great group of players and all are waiting for this moment. We will give our best to become champions again. We are now a formidable force now in domestic circuit.
“Bengal bowlers have done really well this season but I think it will be an even contest. There will be no favorites. The team who wins more session will be victorious,” Unadkat added.
