Mumbai Captain Slams 9 AM Starts in Vijay Hazare Trophy Knockouts
Mumbai's stand-in captain Siddhesh Lad has made a strong appeal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. He wants the BCCI to eliminate 9 AM starts for knockout matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Lad argues this scheduling gives a clear advantage to teams bowling first. It makes the toss a decisive factor in these crucial games.
Quarterfinal Defeat Sparks Criticism
Lad's comments followed Mumbai's 55-run loss to Karnataka in the quarterfinals. The match took place in Bengaluru on Monday. Karnataka won the toss and chose to field first at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence. Mumbai struggled early, slumping to 60 for four in the 18th over.
The team fought back thanks to a solid half-century from Shams Mulani. He scored 86 runs off 91 balls. Captain Siddhesh Lad contributed 38 runs from 58 deliveries. Sairaj Patil added a quick 33 off 25 balls. Mumbai finished their innings at 254 for eight in 50 overs.
Karnataka's response was dominant. They reached 187 for one in just 33 overs. Devdutt Padikkal remained unbeaten on 81 from 95 balls. Karun Nair was not out on 74 off 80 deliveries. Rain and bad light eventually stopped play.
Lad's Fiery Critique of Early Conditions
"It doesn't make sense to start quarterfinal matches at 9 AM," Lad stated firmly. He spoke to the Times of India on Tuesday. "The ball was seaming around for 40-45 overs during our innings. Our young batsmen were being beaten consistently. Any cricketer will tell you this is a massive disadvantage for the team batting first."
Lad explained that scoring becomes extremely difficult in those morning conditions. "You can't put up a good total while batting first. If you lose early wickets, recovery is nearly impossible. We still managed a decent score. To make matters worse, the pitch at the Centre of Excellence had a generous grass cover. Combine that with a 9 AM start, and it's serious trouble for the team batting first," he fumed.
Plea for Day-Night Format in Knockouts
The Mumbai captain has a clear solution. He has requested the BCCI to stage Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals in a day-night format from next season. This would ensure no team faces a disadvantage when batting first.
"I understand you can't play day-night matches during the league stage because many teams are involved," Lad acknowledged. "However, you can play under lights in the knockouts. Only eight teams participate at that stage."
Former Cricketer Mandeep Singh Echoes Concerns
Lad's suggestion has found support from former India batsman Mandeep Singh. The ex-Punjab captain shared his views in an Instagram video. "As we saw in the first two quarterfinals, it's about winning the toss and winning the match," Singh observed.
He highlighted the persistent issue in Indian domestic cricket. "In our List A matches, games start at 9 AM. There is moisture in the wicket. For a substantial part of the first innings, conditions are tough for batting. This gives an undue advantage to the fielding side."
Singh recalled the 2022-23 season at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. "Due to the big stands, there was hardly any sunlight inside the stadium. Four matches took place there. On all occasions, the team batting second won. Saurashtra were worthy champions that time, but the toss was a very big factor. I hope the same is not the case this time and the team batting first also wins a match," he said.
Pitch Conditions Vary Across Venues
Lad noted that conditions differ significantly between venues. "In Jaipur, where we played our league matches, you can still bat well in the morning because the wicket is dry," he explained. "However, in Bengaluru, especially on a red soil pitch at the Centre of Excellence with a big tinge of green, it's tough to score runs and keep wickets in the morning."
Call for Systemic Change Beyond One Match
The 33-year-old captain emphasized this is not about making excuses for Mumbai's defeat. "I'm not making up excuses for our loss," Lad asserted. "But this early start issue has been happening for a long time now. It's not about us losing or winning a single match. This needs to change in the future."
He acknowledged Mumbai had their own problems in the quarterfinal. "We were without in-form players Sarfaraz Khan and Tushar Deshpande. Our pace attack was inexperienced. We also dropped a couple of catches that Padikkal offered early in his innings. However, he too was tentative at the start because the ball was moving a bit in the second innings. Imagine how much it was seaming around in the first innings," Lad lamented.
The captain's strong remarks highlight a growing concern about fairness in domestic cricket knockouts. Players want conditions that test skill rather than being determined by a coin toss and morning moisture.
