'15 years with the team: Sachin Baby reflects on Kerala's historic Ranji final as a proud achievement'

The tension reached its peak on the last day of the nail-biting knockout game between Kerala and Gujarat at the Narendra Modi Stadium. In a heart-stopping moment, a deflection off Salman Nizar's helmet at short leg proved to be the game-changer as Kerala secured their spot in the final against Vidarbha. The ball flew off Salman's helmet, leading to a spectacular catch by Sachin Baby that will go down in history. This crucial play allowed Kerala to gain a narrow first-innings lead of two runs, ultimately propelling them to create a historic moment and make it to the final.

"It feels awesome. Playing this tournament since a very long time and to play the prestigious tournament final, it's very special for me and my team because this is our first final in the domestic circuit. Even though I won the Duleep trophy like two years back, we still haven't won a trophy for Kerala, or reached the final of any of the domestic stages," skipper Sachin Baby told The Hindustan Times.

"So last time we played the semi-final six years back against Vidarbha, and we couldn't go further. So many years again, we are playing Vidarbha in the final. So it feels very special," he added.

Nizar looked in a bit of discomfort as the ball struck his helmet. After inspection, he was replaced by Shoun Roger, who came in as a concussion sub. Nizar experienced nausea and the team decided to send him to the hospital for scans. He was stretchered out near the boundary and left the stadium in an ambulance. Thankfully, ahead of the final, Sachin's update is good news for the Kerala team and fans.

"He's okay now. He had some dicey feeling after that hit, and he went to hospital. He took the scans, and everything was fine, and he came back. He came back after two hours, and he was there," said the Kerala skipper.

Kerala needed a bit of luck to edge past Gujarat, but it's worth noting that their semi-final spot was secured based on a first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir. In both the quarter-final and semi-final, Kerala managed narrow first-innings leads – just enough to see them through.

"We were nervous towards the end. Every game that we played was like a do-or-die game for us because of the group where we were in, including Bengal, Mumbai, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. And we came all the way. Doing really well in the group stages and qualifying for the rounds and even the quarter-finals and semi-finals. We were lucky. Yes, I think the luck came for this team in the form of hard work because we have worked so hard for the past few years," said Baby.

"I have been a part of this team for 15 years. I know how hard we have worked for a couple of years. All the effort we put in for the last for so many years. I think that's finally come into the picture."

Speaking further, Sachin Baby said, "I'm leading the side, and I have quite a few individual performances for my side. Even the last two years have been fantastic for me in both seasons. I have scored 830 runs each, but that's very satisfying for me. As a team, when you perform, you will get that full satisfaction and this year has been very special for me and for the last 15 years. I think I will rate this season's achievement as one of the great achievements in my career," he added.

How Sachin Baby sees the contest against Vidarbha unfolding?

The Ranji Trophy final between Kerala and Vidarbha is set to begin on February 26. Kerala captain Sachin Baby understands the challenge of facing Karun Nair's Vidarbha and knows his team will need to dig deep if they are to claim their maiden title.

"It will be a very good game because both the teams have been playing good cricket for a long time. If you see Vidarbha, they have been consistent for the last two years. Last year, they played in the finals, and then they're also a very good team, and Karun has been fantastic for them. So I think it will be a great contest," said the 36-year-old.

While every squad member has played a vital role in Kerala's road to the final, Baby reserved a special mention for Jalaj Saxena, who's been a true workhorse with stats second to none in domestic cricket. Towards the end of 2024, the spinner became the first player in the history of the tournament to score 6000 runs and take more than 400 wickets.

"He's like a pillar for our side. You won't see a cricketer who has 6,000 runs and over 400 wickets in the domestic circuit, so there will be cricketers who have maybe 400 wickets, but they won't be good at batting, or there will be better who have scored 800 8,000 runs, but not that great with the ball. We have that luxury of a player who can do both, so I'm very happy to have him in my team, and he's been playing for us for the last eight to nine years," said Baby.

"After coming to Kerala, he's not a guest player now. He's been like a brother to us. I look up to him," he added.

Kerala has long been known as a football-loving state, but in recent years, cricket has made significant strides, producing several standout players. Sanju Samson has become a household name, while Sachin Baby is widely credited for driving the sport’s growth in the state alongside the Kerala Cricket Association.

"Even our association, the Kerala Cricket Association, has been providing a lot of facilities over the years. They started the Cricket Academy. They've been working hard for this team for a very long time," he said.
"Last year, this Kerala Cricket League also happened. So a lot of cricketers have got the motivation to play cricket in Kerala, so it's a very good sign, and even having this achievement for Kerala cricket also will boost a lot of cricketers to take up cricket in Kerala."

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