After sticking with VRV Singh as head coach of the Chandigarh senior men’s team for two seasons, UT Cricket Association (UTCA) sprung a surprise when they hired former Ranji Trophy cricketer from Himachal Pradesh, Rajeev Nayyar, for the upcoming season to fill Singh’s shoes.
Known as the unsung hero of the game in the Himachal Pradesh cricket fraternity, Nayyar wants to carry on the good work done by Singh and add on his own ways in shaping the Manan Vohra-led team this season.
“VRV did a fine job with the Chandigarh team for the first two seasons. I have been working with the boys for two months now. Chandigarh has some amazingly talented players. They have responded well and won matches against visiting teams in different tournaments. Chandigarh is already in the elite group for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Our aim now is to top the plate group so that we can enter the elite group of the Ranji Trophy next season,” said 53-year-old Nayyar, who has played 96 first-class games and is the first batsman who scored a century for Himachal Pradesh in Ranji Trophy.
Apart from coaching Himachal Pradesh U-14 and U-16 boys’ teams in the past, Nayyar had been in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association selection committee for the last five years for state senior men’s team.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from coaching Himachal Pradesh U-14 and U-16 boys’ teams in the past, Nayyar had been in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association selection committee for the last five years for state senior men’s team.
{{/usCountry}}When asked why he shifted to the Chandigarh body in a different role, he said, “When I finished my five-year stint as selector with HPCA, I told them I was keen on coaching the senior team. However, it did not happen and I applied with UTCA. It is wonderful that UTCA chose me for the job and I am raring for the upcoming season.” Nayyar made his first-class debut in 1987 and played the last match in 2006.
Chandigarh will start their domestic campaign playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy against Uttar Pradesh on November 4 in New Delhi.
Nayyar pins his hopes on cricketers like captain Manan Vohra, Ankit Kaushik, Shivam Bhambri, Sarul Kanwar, Gurinder Singh and Arpit Singh during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.
Medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma, who has shifted from Punjab Cricket Association to UTCA this season, is down with dengue and will also miss the T20 tournament.
Opening batsman Arslan Khan, who did well for Chandigarh in the first two seasons for senior men’s team, has been surprisingly missing from the squad for the domestic T20 tournament. “He impressed with his batting in two seasons. As far as his selection goes, I can’t say much as I am just a coach and not a selector. I hope the team does well and reaches the finals,” added Nayyar, who is a recipient of Parshuram award from the Himachal government, Nayyar is remembered for his record-breaking feat in 1999-2000, when he batted for 1015 minutes for his 728-ball 271 against Jammu & Kashmir in Chamba, his home town.
It was in 2019 that UTCA got the BCCI affiliation. Two seasons have gone by but the association doesn’t still have its own ground and works with limited resources. “It happens with new associations. Compare the early HPCA times with the present ones. The infrastructure and the system is the best in the country. It was only in 2005 that HPCA got its first international stadium in Dharamsala. UTCA has done well with what facilities it has. In the coming years, UTCA will be bolstered in all departments. My aim is to build a winning pool of players and my focus is on that,” added Nayyar.