Lucknow: A blend of youth and experience is what makes a winning team. The Uttar Pradesh team that won the Ranji Trophy was the perfect blend of experienced players and a few rookies who could be match-winners on their day, said Mohd Kaif, reminiscing about the golden days of UP cricket under his captaincy, 20 years ago.Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif also backed Rinku Singh ’s inclusion in the Indian Test team, saying the southpaw was well-suited to the format and could handle spin comfortably. He added that he was surprised Rinku had not been given a chance.Speaking to TOI, Kaif said two things were crucial when he led UP to the title. The playing XI featured senior players such as Gyanendra Pandey, Rizwan Shamshad, Jyoti Yadav and Ashish Winston Zaidi, alongside younger players such as Kaif himself, Praveen Kumar, Suresh Raina , Piyush Chawla and Mohammad Amir.He said that while modern cricket often highlights the fearless approach of youngsters, Ranji Trophy cricket is a red-ball contest and is very different from white-ball cricket.In this format, senior players matter just as much as younger ones, creating the right blend of experience and youth. If UP stick to this combination, they could certainly repeat the feat and end their 20-year title drought.“Today’s coaches tend to move on from senior cricketers too quickly and often prefer younger players, but many of these new players are growing up in white-ball cricket, and moving straight from that into four-day Ranji cricket is not easy,” he said.Speaking about Rinku, Kaif said, “I am very impressed with Rinku. He is a player for all formats, though unfortunately he is not getting opportunities. In white-ball cricket, you may choose others because India already has many options, but in Tests, where the Indian team has struggled against spin, I believe Rinku can be a strong option for the middle order. The way he stands firm with the tail in Ranji Trophy cricket and scores unbeaten hundreds shows his potential. ”
