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Captain Ashok Menaria made a surprising revelation about Rajasthan Cricket after leading the Haryana team to their first title win in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023. Expressing dissatisfaction with the management of a hamstring injury by Rajasthan authorities last year.
In the summit clash at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on December 16, Haryana clinched a 30-run victory over Rajasthan. Haryana's bowlers effectively limited the opposition team to 257 runs in 48 overs, successfully defending their total of 287 runs.
Following the final, Menaria disclosed his main reason behind departing from Rajasthan to join Haryana for the current domestic season, underlining trust issues. Menaria emphasised the support he received from Haryana, stating that they backed him and extended an invitation to play for their team.
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“Last year, I picked up a hamstring injury. I think they (Rajasthan Cricket) should’ve taken better care of me. Par mujhe bola gya ki tu jabardasti injured ho raha hai (But I was told that I was acting injured). I’d lost trust in myself and was feeling low, but Haryana Cricket backed me and invited me to play for them,” Menaria said.
Menaria and Ankit Kumar formed a 124-run partnership for the third wicket, leading Haryana's recovery from a challenging position of two down for 41. The batting duo set the platform for the lower-middle order batters, ultimately reaching a total of 287 in the final clash.
Menaria highlighted the strength of his team, noting their depth in the batting lineup and the presence of six to seven bowling options. He mentioned their focus on building partnerships in the middle overs and then entrusting the job to Rahul Tewatia and Sumit Kumar.
“I think in India our team is maybe the only one that bats till number 11 and we have 6-7 bowling options. Our strategy has been to stitch partnerships in the middle overs and then hand it over to Tewatia and Sumit, who did the job today as well,” Menaria added.
The 33-year-old mentioned that his team's extensive experience allowed them to handle pressure and remain resilient even in challenging conditions. He pointed out his familiarity with all the Rajasthan players, which worked to Haryana's advantage.
“We’ve played a lot of games under pressure, so even with challenging conditions, we were used to getting across it. Rajasthan, I personally felt, were largely dependent on a few batters. I know all of their players well and it came in handy,” Menaria concluded.
Sumit Kumar played a crucial role in Haryana's victory in the final by taking three crucial wickets during the powerplay. Sumit successfully dismissed Ram Mohan Chouhan, Mahipal Lomror, and Deepak Hooda. His exceptional performance with the new ball earned him the 'Player of the Match' award and has also caught the attention of selectors.
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