Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Bengal captain Anustup confident of boys doing well
Jan 07, 2021
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 7 : Ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, newly appointed Bengal captain Anustup Majumder warned his boys that for Bengal to win the T20 trophy, they can't afford to play bad cricket for even one ball during the course of the tournament.
"Every group is tough, there's no loose group here. On paper, there are two tough teams in our group -- Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. Having said that it's T20 cricket and you shouldn't weigh your opponent on paper, anyone can perform and change the scenario. We have to stay focused and can't afford to play loose cricket for even one ball; only then we can qualify," Majumder said in Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) release.
Bengal is placed with Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam and Hyderabad in Group B and will begin their Mushtaq Ali campaign against Odisha at Jadavpur University Campus here in Kolkata on Sunday.
The new Bengal skipper, who was in superb form last season, showed his caliber in the Bengal T20 Challenge too by becoming the highest run-getter of the meet and claimed that captaincy adds no extra pressure on him.
"I am really honoured that the CAB has selected me for this role. I don't see it as an achievement but as a responsibility that I want to abide by sincerely. When Bengal will win the trophy that will be an achievement. I love to take on challenges and this a new challenge for me. With the team we have, I hope we will do well in the tournament," Majumder said.
While talking about the team he said: "We have a good team. We are a 20-man squad because of Covid but we have a strong squad crafted with good players. All are in good shape, we have had good practice sessions, played practice matches where all the players performed well in their respective departments. All the players are fit."
Bengal has 20 players and two stand byes for the tournament. Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will be hosting the knockout matches of the tournament. BCCI has conveyed to its affiliated units that Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad will be hosting the quarter-finals (January 26-27), semi-finals (January 29), and the final on January 31.
