ROHIT BHANDIYE
PANAJI
Former India international Dinesh Mongia is back as head coach of Goa’s Ranji Trophy team.
When Mongia was Goa’s coach during the 2024-25 season, Goa won the Plate division (meant for lower-ranked teams) and qualified for the Elite Group. However, last season, Goa failed to make any impact, winning only a solitary match, losing on four occasions and drawing two games. This meant that Goa ended their campaign with 11 points and finished sixth among eight teams in their group.
This time, too, things won’t be easy for Goa. Goa have been placed in a tough Elite Group A, along with defending champions Jammu and Kashmir, former champions Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Baroda. Bihar and Puducherry are the remaining teams in the group.
Coach Mongia expressed confidence in the performance of Goa’s side during this season, which begins on October 11.
“Our preparation has been really good. This time, Goa Cricket Association officials have done a fantastic job by organising a bilateral series in Oman which involved two T20 and three ODI matches, which was very nice and fruitful for the players. The experience of playing against an international side has helped in building the confidence of the players. Then we went to Bengaluru to play in the KSCA Trophy, where we played three four-day games against Karnataka, Vidarbha and Gujarat. After that, we went to Pune to play two games against Maharashtra. We played some good, decent cricket over there – in Bengaluru and Pune. So, preparation-wise, it has been really good,” Mongia told The Goan.
Mongia further added, “The vision of the administrators of Goa Cricket Association is very clear. They want to build a strong team for the future. So, all the hard work is for that only. All the efforts taken now will help the team’s performance in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. We want Goa to be among the best cricket teams in the country. First, among the top 10 in India. However, it will take some time. It won’t happen overnight. But the right decisions have been made and work has already been started in that direction. So, hopefully, some good results will come.”
The former India international said the Goan side was in pretty good shape, having worked really hard during the practice games over the last two months.
“As a unit, the team is in good shape. The players are in good form. They have worked really hard. And hopefully, technically and tactically, they are on top of their game. Batting, bowling, dribbling, everything is in good shape. For two months, we have worked really hard. So, hopefully, now some good results should come,” Mongia said.
“The best part of Goa is that there is a limited pool, which is a negative side but also a good side as well. So, there are only 20-25 players. It is good because if you go to Punjab or Karnataka or Maharashtra, there are so many districts. They have a larger talent pool. So, you can’t keep an eye on each and every player. But whereas in Goa, because it is a small state and there are only 20-25 players, you can keep an eye on each of them. So, in the last two months, we have kept a very structured eye on every player. How he is coming up, what his requirements are and what we expect from him. So, according to that, the off-season thing was done, which is a positive thing. Yes, we want to increase the pool, that is for sure. Some good youngsters are also coming up,” the former India international said.
Mongia is aware that Goa’s group includes multiple former Ranji Trophy champions and said his players would not be intimidated when playing against them.
“It is always good to play against big names. That is the real fun. As I said, we have done our preparation and if the Goan players play well, then their confidence level will go up. So, that’s a big learning. So, we take it in a very positive way. As a coach, as a team, we are looking for some good results only. However, there will be good days and bad days. But we have to take that in our stride. Our ultimate aim is that we want to take Goa to the next level. We want to do well in T20, ODI, Ranji Trophy,” Mongia said.
Mongia further asserted the long-term vision of the side. He said, “I have already spoken to the big bosses of Goa Cricket Association and have picked the next generation of cricketers. Those who can play in IPL, Duleep Trophy within the next two years. There are a few cricketers in this dressing room. And a few of them in Goa’s U-23 and U-19 squads. We are keeping a close eye on them. They are the real future of Goan cricket.”
