Irani Cup | Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani makes it a domestic hat-trick

Rajat Patidar’s rare chance of claiming a rare triple for a captain of winning the Indian Premier League, Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup in succession did not materialise.

But Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani achieved the domestic treble (Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup). No wonder then that the bespectacled Vidarbha coach – a stalwart in Vidarbha cricket – wore a wide grin with his bunch of boys celebrating their prized possession along with the families of players on the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium greens.

“Duleep Trophy consists of central zone players. It’s good for me as a coach, but this trophy (Irani Cup) was very important for me. We badly wanted to win it and we have done it,” Ghani told The Hindu.

Ghani is confident that the last five days, with Vidarbha outclassing a formidable Rest of India outfit by 93 runs, have set the tone for the team’s quest to defend the Ranji title.

“It shows that when one wins the Ranji Trophy, it is not a fluke. It shows that our team is a good side and for the coming season, we are going to be a good challenge to all our opponents. So, Irani proves a lot that we are still there in the reckoning for the next season.”

Ghani was not at all surprised by Atharva Taide notching up a first-innings century (143, 283b) that resulted in the left-handed opener being the Player-of-the-Match.

“Unfortunately, we had to drop him (for last season’s final) because he was not scoring runs and he was not fulfilling his role. The moment the season ended, we started working on his technique. He is a very competitive guy, and he gave his 100%. We worked on his technique, the areas to improve. I am very happy for him”.