Sachin Tendulkar has chosen to prepare for his final two Tests against the West Indies by turning up for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy opener against Haryana.
But the maestro has no apprehensions in conceding that a good performance in the country’s premier domestic tournament is no guarantee for a berth in the Indian national side.u00a0The 40-year-old will hang his boots after his 200th Test next month in Mumbai. He spoke to the BCCI’s official website on the importance of Ranji Trophy.
“A good performance in Ranji Trophy definitely helps you to be recognised by the selectors but it is not a sure-shot certainty that it is going to get you a berth in the Indian cricket team because you also have to see the composition of the national squad, whether one fits into the selectors’ ideas and the captain’s ideas,” Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar, whose average of 87.43 is the highest for any batsman who has played 50 innings in Ranji Trophy, however, felt that the Ranji features excellent players and there should be constant efforts to improve the standard of the event.u00a0“The competition is fierce and that is how it should be, you have got to have good tracks to play on and good oppositions, that’s what raises the standard of playing,” Tendulkar said.
“If somebody performs against a good opposition, that performance has to be recognised and I am sure the selectors are trying their best to witness most of the matches. To have the top players playing in this tournament is a bonus,” he added.
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