Vijay Hazare Trophy: Ashok Menaria Reveals The Reason For Leaving Rajasthan Following Final Victory
Published - 17 Dec 2023, 01:28 PM | Updated - 12 Apr 2024, 04:25 PM
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Ashok Menaria made a shocking revelation about Rajasthan Cricket after leading the Haryana team to its first-ever title win in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Ashok Menaria expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of a hamstring injury by the Rajasthan authorities last year.
Haryana secured a 30-run victory over Rajasthan in the summit clash at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Saturday, December 16. Haryana bowlers restricted the opposition team to 257 in 48 overs while successfully defending their total of 287 runs.
They Should’ve Taken Better Care Of Me – Ashok Menaria
Following the final, Ashok Menaria revealed his decision to leave Rajasthan for Haryana ahead of the current domestic season, emphasizing the trust issues. Menaria highlighted that Haryana backed him and invited him to play for their team.
“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 as Haryana recovered from a challenging position of two down for 41. The batting duo set the platform for the lower-middle-order batters, and they reached a total of 287 in the final clash.
The Only One That Bats Till Number 11 – Ashok Menaria
Ashok Menaria highlighted the strength of his team, noting their depth in the batting lineup and the presence of 6-7 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.
I Know All Of Their Players Well – Ashok Menaria
The 33-year-old said that his team was accustomed to handling pressure due to extensive experience, making them resilient even in challenging conditions. He mentioned that his familiarity with all the Rajasthan players worked to his team’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 pivotal role in Haryana’s triumph in the final by securing three crucial wickets during the powerplay. Sumit dismissed Ram Mohan Chouhan, Mahipal Lomror, and Deepak Hooda. He was awarded Player of the Match for his spell with the new ball. Sumit’s outstanding performance has also garnered attention from selectors.
