As the Jharkhand cricket team erupted in joyous celebration with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at Pune's MCA Stadium in Gahunje, two familiar faces watched the frenzy with quiet pride from the sidelines. Former India cricketers Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem, now key administrators for the state, were eventually pulled into the team photo by captain Ishan Kishan and his victorious squad, marking a poignant full-circle moment.
From Champions on Field to Architects Off It
This victory holds special significance as it ends a 15-year wait for a BCCI trophy for Jharkhand. The last triumph came in 2011 when a team led by Tiwary defeated Gujarat, captained by Parthiv Patel, by a massive 159 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final. The star of that final was Shahbaz Nadeem, who delivered a magical spell of 4 wickets for just 6 runs in 4 overs, earning the Player of the Match award.
Today, the duo continues to drive Jharkhand's success, but in different roles. Saurabh Tiwary serves as the Secretary of the Jharkhand Cricket Association (JCA), while Shahbaz Nadeem is the Joint Secretary. "This trophy means a lot for us as it has come after a long time," said an emotional Tiwary. "I feel the credit goes to the players and the support staff for making this happen. Hopefully, in the coming days, we will play many more finals in various formats."
Focus on the Crucial 20 Percent
Nadeem provided insight into the administrative changes that paved the way for this success. He acknowledged that while Jharkhand often reached finals earlier, there were gaps. "I would say, we were 80 percent there, but at this level, even 20 percent matters a lot. Our aim is to work on that 20 percent," explained the former left-arm spinner.
He highlighted key initiatives, including granting players more freedom and a major structural shift in age-group cricket. "The inclusion of multi-day formats in age-group cricket has been vital. Earlier we had limited-overs matches only, but we took this decision to start days cricket and I feel it was needed," Nadeem stated. He emphasized that the win was a collective effort: "The team did not depend on any individual. Everybody played their part. We played as a strong team."
The Dhoni Factor and Future Roadmap
No discussion on Jharkhand cricket is complete without mentioning Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Nadeem revealed the legendary former India captain's continued involvement. "Before the season, when we were selecting the coaches, support staff, and selectors, MS bhai's involvement was there. Be it women's cricket or age-group teams, he gave his inputs for each team," Nadeem shared, crediting Dhoni for boosting team morale.
Looking ahead, both administrators are using their playing experience to identify and fill gaps. "During our playing days, we found some things, facilities, lacking for players. We tried to fill in the gaps and will look for more holes to fill," Nadeem concluded, signaling a proactive approach to build on this hard-earned success.
