Ranji Trophy: Ignored by Mumbai, Bhavin Thakkar serves reminder of his class for Kerala
Bhavin Thakkar
Only nine months ago, Bhavin Thakkar was part of a vibrant Mumbai dressing room. He'd answered an SOS from Mumbai's selectors to make himself available for two Ranji knockout matches. Around the time, Mumbai felt the need for a stable opening partner and Thakkar, with his wealth of first-class experience, ticked the box.Thakkar may not have recorded significant scores in the semi-final against Madhya Pradesh and the title clash against Saurashtra, but he finished the season with warm memories of Mumbai's Ranji triumph.
Yesterday, he took guard at one of his home turfs, the iconic Brabourne Stadium, but forKerala . And as a fitting gesture of thanksgiving, he smashed 117 off 200 balls against a hapless Goa to prop the team to 290/2.
Mumbai hadn't named him in its Ranji probables this season. For Thakkar, the message was loud and clear: he had to move on. Playing Ranji without the Mumbai whites is not an unfamiliar experience for him, for in the past he had representedHimachal Pradesh and Jharkhand with distinction. “I was hoping the winning team would stay and I would retain my spot. But the selectors decided otherwise and did not include me. So, I thought it was a nice chance to play first-class cricket because we play cricket to enjoy," Thakkar said after the day's play.
Ask Himachal Pradesh what Thakkar had brought to the table during the 2008-09 Ranji season. They were languishing in the Plate Division -Thakkar had a major hand in securing their promotion. He enjoyed a season tally of 586 runs in nine outings, which included 111in the semi-final.
“When I was playing for Himachal, the aim was to help them qualify for the Elite division, which we did. I was the highest run-getter then. Hopefully, I will be able to do the same for Kerala," he said. There was a dip of form in the next two seasons though (2009-10 and 2010-2011), for he could only collect 307 and 163 runs for Himachal in the Elite Division. He moved to Jharkhand in the 2013-2014 season and scored 233 runs in six innings. Yesterday, he was back to his fluent best. Kerala lost their first wicket in the seventh over. It was up to Thakkar, who had scored a solid 79 in the last match against Haryana, and skipper Rohan Prem to steady the ship. They combined for a 234-run stand for the second wicket.
He reached his ton after tea. Prem also got his 100 off 207 balls. Thakkar seemed headed for a truly big one, but fell to a sweep off Shadab Jakati. With Prem and Sanju Samson at the crease, Kerala would be hoping to cash in.
Yesterday, he took guard at one of his home turfs, the iconic Brabourne Stadium, but for
Mumbai hadn't named him in its Ranji probables this season. For Thakkar, the message was loud and clear: he had to move on. Playing Ranji without the Mumbai whites is not an unfamiliar experience for him, for in the past he had represented
“It's practically a home game for me here. It's good to get a hundred here on this ground. I've played a lot of my cricket here and have played for the CCI as well. I know the conditions at Brabourne very well," the 34-year-old Thakkar said.
Ask Himachal Pradesh what Thakkar had brought to the table during the 2008-09 Ranji season. They were languishing in the Plate Division -Thakkar had a major hand in securing their promotion. He enjoyed a season tally of 586 runs in nine outings, which included 111in the semi-final.
“When I was playing for Himachal, the aim was to help them qualify for the Elite division, which we did. I was the highest run-getter then. Hopefully, I will be able to do the same for Kerala," he said. There was a dip of form in the next two seasons though (2009-10 and 2010-2011), for he could only collect 307 and 163 runs for Himachal in the Elite Division. He moved to Jharkhand in the 2013-2014 season and scored 233 runs in six innings. Yesterday, he was back to his fluent best. Kerala lost their first wicket in the seventh over. It was up to Thakkar, who had scored a solid 79 in the last match against Haryana, and skipper Rohan Prem to steady the ship. They combined for a 234-run stand for the second wicket.
He reached his ton after tea. Prem also got his 100 off 207 balls. Thakkar seemed headed for a truly big one, but fell to a sweep off Shadab Jakati. With Prem and Sanju Samson at the crease, Kerala would be hoping to cash in.
