New Delhi:
Long under the shadows of their regional rivals Baroda and Saurashtra who have tasted Ranji Trophy success in the past, Gujarat are like the phoenix who have risen from their ashes this season to make it to their first Ranji Trophy finals in 66 years.
Gujarat last had a title shot at Indian domestic cricket's biggest prize way back in 1950-51. Indian stalwart Polly Umrigar led them to their maiden final.
Gujarat are on the cusp of making history when they take on the mighty Mumbai team in the Ranji Trophy final being played out at the Holkar Stadium, Indore.
Gujarat take on a tough opponent in Mumbai, who have rightfully been touted as arguably the most successful Ranji Team of all time. Mumbai has a glittering record in Ranji trophy, converting 41 of their 45 finals appearances into championship wins.
The last time they lost in the summit clash was to Haryana in 1990-91, a game where Dilip Vengsarkar was inconsolable after Mumbai lost by two runs.
Gujarat's dream run to the final
Gujarat's run to the final has been a fairly tale story of sorts. Labelled as potential underdogs, no one had tipped them to make it all the way. Team effort has been paramount to their success this season.
The side leveraged on the combination of youth and experience. They have been brilliantly led by the seasoned campaigner Parthiv Patel, whose valuable experience held the team in good stead.
The batting unit of the team fired on all cylinders with batting ace Priyank Panchal leading the run scoring charts with a staggering this season. Samit Gohel with a triple century under his belt has also been menacing with the bat.
The side had a potent bowling arsenal both in the pace and spin department. They had the services of seasoned international seamers like Jasprit Bumrah and RP Singh who have produced some breathtaking moments all through this season. In the spin department, they had India's all-rounder Axar Patel who has chipped in with wicket at regular intervals.
Prithvi Shah stands out in Mumbai's brilliant season
Mumbai on the other hand have once again proven that they are the dominant force in India's first class cricket. But the icing on the cake has been the phenomenal rise of you Prithvi Shaw, who scored a breathtaking century in his Ranji Trophy debut.
Prithvi reached the milestone in 152 balls against Tamil Nadu in the semi-final match. Shaw became only the second cricketer after the great Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this rare feat.
He became the 13th batsmen for Mumbai, to hit a ton on his Ranji Trophy debut and joined the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Khanderao Rangnekar, Madhav Dalvi. He also became the second youngest player to hit a century after Sachin Tendulkar.
Mumbai has the number to back them, Gujarat ride high on confidence and zeal to win
Going into the finals, the numbers are hugely in favour of Mumbai as they have an impeccable record against Gujarat, losing just two out of the 61 matches, the last of which was in 1977-78.
But as the saying goes in cricket, every game is a new game and both sides are equally matched basis their rich vein of form. So an hard fought contest is on the cards to vie for the top honours in first class cricket.
