Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy Hopes Derailed by “Big Stage Anxiety”
Mumbai’s dominance in the Ranji Trophy final has left Vidarbha facing an insurmountable task. After Mumbai’s batting collapse on Monday, Vidarbha’s batters failed to capitalize on Tuesday, leaving them with a daunting target of 528 runs.
Experts believe that “big stage anxiety” has played a significant role in Vidarbha’s underwhelming performance. Chandrakant Pandit and Sulakshan Kulkarni, former Vidarbha coaches, attribute the team’s struggles to the pressure of playing in a high-stakes final.
“Players know that it’s not often that one gets such a big stage,” said Pandit. “At the back of the mind, players keep thinking about all this. This leads to anxiety and eventually numb nerves.”
Kulkarni echoed Pandit’s assessment, stating that Vidarbha appeared “overawed by the big stage.” He also criticized the team’s decision to not bat first, which he believes deprived their bowlers of much-needed rest.
“On Day 1, it was a good pitch for batting,” said Kulkarni. “Batting first would have given the Vidarbha bowlers more time to rest.”
Vidarbha’s plan throughout the season has been to bat first and post a big total, but they deviated from this strategy in the final. Kulkarni believes this was a mistake, as it put additional pressure on their bowlers.
“They made a great comeback after being bowled out for 170 in the first innings against MP in the semifinal,” said Kulkarni. “Even more reason they should have batted first here too.”
With Mumbai’s bowlers in top form, Vidarbha’s chances of chasing down the target appear slim. The team will need a historic effort to overcome the deficit and claim their first Ranji Trophy title.
