From underdogs to powerhouse

Winning the Ranji Trophy title after 72 years, Uttar Pradesh, once considered minnows in national cricket, are in a different league now with three state players in the Indian team and the next crop even more promising.

It is for the first time in the Indian cricket history that three UP players -- Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina and Rudra Pratap Singh -- are playing in the Indian national team.

What is more heartening is as many as two other state players, Ravikant Shukla and Piyush Chawla, were captain and vice-captain respectively in the just concluded Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, where they finished runners-up to Pakistan.

In the recently concluded India-Pakistan series, Singh and Raina were praised by skipper Rahul Dravid and coach Greg Chappell.

Although, Kaif was not successful with the willow, his brilliant fielding display stood out.

Left-arm medium pacer Singh was adjudged man of the match in the fourth one-day international after he claimed four wickets. Raina also justified his inclusion with his spectacular batting exploits in the same match.

India's under-19 skipper Shukla, teenage prodigy Chawla along with Ali Murtaza, Tanmay Srivastava and left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav were in the list of probables for the Junior World Cup.

Ravikant, who made his Ranji debut in December, was a hit in the last Australian tour. If one tracks down the cricket journey of Yuvrajs and Kaifs in recent times, his talent promise everything in his favour.

Leg-spinner Piyush, who is just 16, has already impressed the cricket pundits which includes none other than the Indian coach himself.

His performance in the Challenger Trophy in which he took the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh got immediate attention of the gurus and he was promptly invited to have nets with the Indian team.

He has also come in for heavy praise from former Pakistan player and coach of Punjab team Intikhab Alam and more importantly from India's veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

Now the aim of UP cricketers, after achieving the Ranji title, would be the Ranji one-dayers, where they have topped the zonal league.

Pramod Kumar Gupta, who has coached Raina, Singh and Ravikant is an elated man.

"This is very good time for Indian cricket when young talents are being spotted and encouraged," he said.

"After Raina and Singh, not only Ravikant and Piyush, but a bunch of youngsters hold a very good future."

He further claimed that Ravikant, who is an attractive left handed batsman, "is bound to make it big in the near future."

Coincidentally, almost all UP players -- who made it big in recent times -- hail from the Gomti Nagar Sports Stadium in Lucknow.

(UNI)