Vijay Merchant was respected by his peers, Sunil Gavaskar idolised by generations and Sachin Tendulkar worshipped by a nation – three eras strung by a common thread called Mumbai cricket team.
The 41-time Ranji Trophy winners will be playing their 500th encounter in the National championship against Baroda at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Having produced the maximum number of international cricketers across three formats, even the staggering statistics will not be able to tell the kind of impact one team has had on Indian cricket over the years.
Gavaskar's discipline and Tendulkar's panache are testimony to Mumbai's 'Gharana' of cricket based on 4D's – Discipline, Devotion, Dedication and Determination.
Add to it Dilip Vengsarkar's grace, Eknath Solkar's courage, Dilip Sardesai's flamboyance and the supple wrists of Rohit Sharma – the 'Maximum City' has time and again given maximum joy to the cricket lovers.
The Mumbai (Bombay) Ranji team has nurtured some of the finest cricketers in the country. Many of us have learnt a lot by being a part of the Ranji tournaments getting the opportunity to play with and against the best cricketers in the country.Sachin Tendulkar
"Every Mumbai cricketer has taken great pride in wearing the lion-crested cap. Never taking it easy and the reluctance to rest on our past laurels has resulted in the Mumbai Ranji team being the force it is, over the years," Tendulkar said.
Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare said that the four-day Group C Ranji Trophy match against Baroda will be special for the team.
It is a special game for us. It is a great feeling to be playing the 500th Ranji Trophy game for a terrific side. It is going to be a great game for us.Aditya Tare
Tare is blessed with a near-full strength team at his command with the return of Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer from their international duties.
(With inputs from PTI)
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