How Mumbai solved the elusive trophy puzzle

Much as the Mumbai players possess the famous Khadoos attitude, they still seem to believe in a touch of irrationality, if one may say so, and it is inconceivable that for a domestic power house like Mumbai, superstitions can play a role in their victories. Ajinkya Rahane said as much during the presentation party of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

"I did not go to Kolkata for the final because of a superstition," conceded Salil Ankola, the chief selector of the Mumbai team. He was in Indore during the Ranji Trophy final earlier this year when the team had fallen short in the match. "Maybe, my presence is not a good omen for the side," Ankola, a former India pacer, said with a thought of relief of not experiencing the sense of deja vu.

Extravagant beliefs were there in coach Amol Muzumdar too. Normally, he would only stand when Mumbai bat and so much so he was standing all through when Sarfaraz Khan was smashing 275 in a Ranji game last year. The same pattern followed in the Ranji final but alas! On Saturday night at the Eden, he decided to take a seat realising that there may be a jinx to his upright routine. "During the later moments of the match, I decided to sit down," Muzumdar laughed out during a conversation with Cricbuzz post the thrilling final.

Superstitions apart, the Mumbai team has been targeting the national Twenty20 championship that has been missing from their colossal trophy cabinet. While most Mumbai players possess all-format skills, the selectors picked a few players based on their white ball abilities. Aman Khan and Sairaj Patil are the white ball specialists in the squad and were selectively used. "A lot of credit goes to the selectors," said Muzumdar, a Mumbai legend, lauding the selectors' effort.

Patil was the designated Impact Player (a kind of Super Sub who can be nominated by a team before the 12th over) of an innings. He was to be used in that role in the final too after early loss of wickets but the team management decided to repose trust in the regulars who, in the end, delivered the maiden SMA Trophy.

While crediting the entire team for the victory, skipper Rahane singled out Tanush Kotian for the success in the final against Himachal Pradesh. Kotian, an off-spinning all-rounder, celebrated his superb three-wicket haul with a winning blow for the side in the tense final moments. Safaraz, of course, personified the Khadoos attitude of the side during the final, playing a characteristically match-winning knock that he had so often done for the Mumbai team.

Rahane himself was a no-show in the final, as he had been throughout the tournament (112 runs in eight games), but Ankola felt the skipper left a strong impact with his leadership skills. "He is the Captain Cool of Mumbai and his calming influence in crucial situations was crucial to the successful campaign," said Ankola.

The red ball format, anyway, is Mumbai's forte. Muzumdar, a batting machine during his playing days in the domestic circuit, set himself and the side a target that the team must do well in the white ball formats at any cost when he took charge last year. The Vijay Hazare Trophy had already been won and the Twenty20 Trophy was the one eluding them.

"It was not just about setting targets. A lot of effort went into it too," Muzumdar explained. He had a long camp at the BKC (in Mumbai) before the start of the season where the focus was on fielding, fitness and specially power hitting. Considering the fickle weather of Mumbai in September, the camp was moved to Ahmedabad where the team also played a few friendly games with Gujarat and Rajasthan. The preparation was so perfect that except in the final, the team was barely tested during the tournament.