Ranji: Don't Get Carried Away, Sachin Tendulkar Tells Jammu & Kashmir After Historic Win
Jammu and Kashmir defeated 40-time champions Mumbai in their first-ever meeting at the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday.
Sachin Tendulkar hailed Jammu and Kashmir's historic triumph over 40-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai, but asked the domestic cricket 'minnows' not to get carried away and stay focused for the rest of the season. The former India captain spent an hour with the Jammu team, sharing in their moment of glory.
"You should not get carried away. You should keep the momentum. It's a great victory and a big achievement," Tendulkar told players from the Jammu and Kashmir Ranji team as he signed bats and posed for photographs.
Jammu and Kashmir stunned Mumbai in their fortress at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, defeating them by four wickets. The hosts were without two of their star batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, who are touring with the Indian Test team in Australia. Never before have Mumbai and Jammu and Kashmir played each other in the Ranji Trophy's 80-year history.
Parvez Rasool is the only cricketer from Kashmir to have played for India but now there could be a few more harbouring that dream. The likes of pacer Ram Dayal, who rocked a strong Mumbai batting line-up in the first innings and opening batsman Shubham Khajuria, who smashed a hundred and a half-century, would want to keep the momentum going for the rest of the season and leave a strong impression on the selectors.
Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in November 2013, also exited the Ranji circuit a few weeks before his farewell Test match. The Little Master had struck a fine half-century to take Mumbai to victory against Haryana in Lahli and has been the most famous batsman to have emerged from Mumbai's maidans.