Thirty young cricketers from Kerala’s under-14 and under-16 teams were brought to Nagpur by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), hoping to witness Sachin Baby’s team make history by winning their first Ranji Trophy. Despite not seeing their senior team achieve this milestone, some of the youngsters posed for photographs with a replica of the Ranji Trophy, perhaps dreaming of winning the actual trophy in the future.
The Kerala team members, visibly heartbroken, noticed the young fans in the stands. Sachin Baby, during the presentation ceremony, attempted to lighten the mood with a touch of humor, saying to the Vidarbha team, “You guys have defeated us in all three knockout stages. Next time, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time.”
In past Ranji Trophy tournaments, Vidarbha had consistently been a stumbling block for Kerala. In 2017-18, Kerala was defeated by Vidarbha in the quarter-finals, followed by a semi-final loss in the subsequent season. In the 2024-25 season, Kerala faced Vidarbha in their first-ever final and were defeated again. Sachin Baby has been a part of all these defeats. This latest loss was particularly difficult as Baby was central to Kerala’s journey to the final. When a lead seemed within reach, Baby’s attempt to score a century in his 100th first-class match proved costly.
During the post-match press conference, Baby described his shot that led to his dismissal at 98 as a “brain fade” moment. He was caught by Karun Nair at deep midwicket while attempting a slog. A century in his 100th first-class game could have potentially sealed the victory for Kerala. However, luck seemed to have run out for them after narrowly progressing through the quarter-finals and semi-finals with narrow leads.
“As the captain, I take full responsibility,” Baby stated. “My shot changed the game’s momentum. With six wickets down, my intention was to stay till the end and secure a lead, ideally a lead of over 100 runs, which could have made a significant difference.”
Baby struggled to explain his decision to play the slog shot, suggesting it was more of an instinctive reaction than a planned strategy. It’s a moment he will likely replay in his mind repeatedly. He added, “I had been playing grounded shots until that moment, but then I’m not sure what came over me to play that shot. That, along with the dropped catch of Karun Nair, were critical turning points in the match.”
He continued, “If I accept praise for successes, I must also accept blame for failures. No player intentionally tries to get out. That particular shot wasn’t premeditated. Perhaps it was a momentary lapse in judgment. However, on this pitch, you needed to play attacking shots. Being overly defensive could have increased pressure on both the team and myself.”
At 36, Baby is the senior-most player in the team and dislikes being called a ‘veteran’. He maintains that he feels fitter than ever, indicating his desire to continue playing. Focusing on team improvement, he shared, “We still need to improve. I was reminding the team how Vidarbha bounced back from losing the final last year to win the trophy this year.”
