Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Hyderabad’s Tanmay, Milind hog limelight

Hyderabad: As the league stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament ended on Tuesday, for a change, Hyderabad had something to celebrate and cheer about.  Apart from stunning all-round show when they won all their five Elite Group E matches, beating big teams like Delhi, Saurashtra and Uttar Pradesh to top the table and […]

Hyderabad: As the league stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament ended on Tuesday, for a change, Hyderabad had something to celebrate and cheer about.  Apart from stunning all-round show when they won all their five Elite Group E matches, beating big teams like Delhi, Saurashtra and Uttar Pradesh to top the table and enter the quarterfinals for a date with Gujarat on November 18, skipper Tanmay Agarwal and left-arm seamer Chama Milind emerged as top run-getter and top wicket-taker respectively in the league. Tanmay scored 302 runs while Milind scalped 16 wickets so far.

This eye-catching performance is surely going to attract the IPL franchises’ attention. The turnaround of fortunes has brought smiles back to the team after a series of setbacks in the last few seasons. The first step to bring back Hyderabad’s old glory is on the cards.  The team owes to the new coach Milap Mewada, the former Baroda first class cricketer, who instilled confidence into the team. 

Although it is an all-round show, Mewada was all praise for Tanmay and Milind.”The two are playing the best cricket of their career. There is a sense of self-belief and they have been positive with their game,” he said.

Talking about Tanmay, the coach said the left-handed opener is in good space. “He is able to play the game more freely. He is consistent and looks very positive whenever he walks into the field.”

He has executed the plans very well. We clearly told him to bat deep into the innings and he is doing a marvellous job. That has helped Hyderabad to make good scores in this tournament. He has been the key batsman for Hyderabad. There is a change of mindset and change in his approach to the game.’’

Mewada stated that Tanmay is a sweet timer of the ball. “He is working on his game and is able to hit the ball through the gaps. This is career-changing season for him.’’

On his captaincy, the coach said Tanmay is learning. “He is taking the team along with him. It is a matter of time he will learn the intricacies of the captain. In fact, the team is bonding very well and is developing into a winning unit.’’

The coach was equally effusive of Milind. “He is into a good rhythm. There is a lot of purposefulness in his approach to the game. We have told him to bowl to his strength. He has become a clever bowler. We are keeping it simple. He is also aware that he can’t bowl at an express pace.

“If you see his performance in the league so far, he has taken wickets but at the same time, he has leaked a lot of runs in a few matches. He is a 135-140 bowler. In the first two overs, there is subtle variation and swings the ball at the right length. In his second spell, he used the yorkers very well and rolls the ball.’’

The coach felt that Milind can be a good all-rounder. “He is a handy left-handed batsman.. He has won the matches for Hyderabad with the bat also. He is solid in tight situations and plays some stunning shots on the off side. It is not easy to play and hits vertical bat strokes to covers. He has got that skill set to bat. He adds value to the team as an all-rounder. He has that self-belief and that is important for any cricketer. The game is all about confidence.’’

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