Unbeaten in three matches, Goa lead points table showcasing resurgence in form under coach Dinesh Mongia
PANAJI
It has been a good showing by Goa at Ranji Trophy this season so far. Relegated to the plate division due to poor performance during last season wherein the Goan side finished 31 among 32 teams, Goa has done well this season.
During last season, Goa had lost five out of their seven games, losing to Tripura, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Railways and Gujarat with two matches against Chandigarh and Karnataka ending in a draw.
However, this time around, Goa has been remained unbeaten so far winning all their three matches against Manipur, Sikkim and Nagaland.
They defeated Manipur for an easy nine wickets home win, then thrashed Sikkim by an innings and 53 runs in Sikkim which was followed by 83 runs win over Nagaland in a closely fought encounter at Panjim Gymkhana.
Infact, Goa is the only side that is unbeaten in their Plate group and leads the points table with 19 points.
One of the reasons for Goa’s good performance is the difference between quality of opposition in an Elite and Plate group. The standard of cricket of majority of the teams in Plate group leaves much to be desired. The North East teams – Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh – are considered as minnows in Indian cricket and have been inducted into Ranji Trophy only since 2018-19 season. It will take time for cricket to develop into those states.
The Goan team has been virtually untested in their Plate group. Going by their current form, Goa should manage to win both their remaining matches against Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh on 06 November and 13 November respectively.
Mizoram and Nagaland with 13 points each (2 wins and 1 loss) occupy the second and third position respectively. Sikkim with 12 points (2 wins and 1 loss) is on the fourth position. Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are yet to open their account and are lying at fifth and sixth position respectively.
The top two teams in Plate group will qualify to the Elite Group for next Ranji season 2025-26 while the two bottom sides in Elite group will be relegated to the Plate group.
For Goa, Suyash Prabhudessai, Krishnamurthy Siddharth and Manthan Khutkar have scored centuries this season while skipper Darshan Misal has been the pick of the bowlers with 17 wickets in 3 matches while debutant Shubham Tari has bagged 11 wickets.
Before start of the season, former India international and Goa’s Ranji coach Dinesh Mongia had expressed confidence of a good performance from his boys.
"My main goal would be to get Goa back to the Elite group. For that, we all have to work hard and top the Plate division”, Mongia had said.
Well, Goa is most likely to top the Plate division and qualify for Elite group. In future, Goa needs to be consistent with its performance so that it remains in Elite group only.
Goa’s remaining fixtures
Goa vs Mizoram, November 6 - 9, 2024, Ahmedabad
Goa vs Arunachal Pradesh, November 13 - 16, 2024, Porvorim
