'If you're happy only signing autographs...': Sanjay Patil rips 'so-called India players' to shreds for Ranji flop show

Mumbai’s failure to defend their Ranji Trophy title has sparked criticism from chief selector Sanjay Patil, who has questioned the commitment of international stars drafted into the domestic circuit. Following Mumbai’s semifinal exit, Patil urged the BCCI and the national selection panel to closely monitor how top-level players approach domestic matches when mandated to play.

“Firstly, I congratulate Ajit Agarkar (chief national selector), Jay Shah (former BCCI secretary) and all the BCCI authorities who forced all the big cricketers to represent their respective state teams. Every cricketer owes most of his achievements to his own state,” Patil told Sportstar.

However, he did not hold back in his assessment of the returning internationals, suggesting they played with little intent. “But whenever all the internationals were made to play domestic cricket, they merely participated in these games instead of being involved. The legacy of Mumbai cricket – especially when it comes to international stars’ involvement in Mumbai cricket – was not at all seen and it needs to be fixed.”

Patil’s frustration comes in the wake of Mumbai’s semifinal loss to Vidarbha, a match where the absence of urgency and grit from their big names proved costly. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal played in Mumbai’s penultimate league fixture against Jammu & Kashmir, a match they lost.

Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube returned for the knockout rounds, but their impact was minimal. Jaiswal, notably, left before the semifinal, raising further concerns.

“I have a request for the association to make sure the international stars are made aware of it. Otherwise, it becomes unfair on the team and the rising stars. Our association has always stood by us but had no option due to the BCCI diktat. They were asked to play and they did, mostly for the sake of it,” said Patil.

Lack of grit and commitment

Patil did not mince words when criticizing the attitude displayed by Mumbai’s senior players, singling out their lack of intensity compared to their predecessors.

“[I am] very upset with the way they played [in the Ranji Trophy]. It was something that’s not expected from Test players and the so-called Indian cricketers. The kind of dedication we experienced from our seniors was never on display from the current lot. If you are joining the team and are happy only to be signing autographs, it speaks volumes about you.”

Drawing comparisons to Vidarbha’s hunger, he added, “That was the biggest difference between Vidarbha and Mumbai in the semifinals. The greed and grit to win was never seen in the semifinal, or throughout since the second half of the Ranji Trophy. [I am] totally upset with all the big players, including Suryakumar Yadav.”