Focus now on Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, not IPL, says Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane

Domestic T20 tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy kicked off on Thursday even as only over a month is left for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to begin. It is very likely that the interest over the former gets diluted in the run-up to the annual carnival which sees a grand get-together of the best talents in the game. This tournament will continue till March 14, nine days before the first IPL game on March 23.

The timing of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year has given birth to controversy since it is generally held before the IPL auction every year. That gave the players an opportunity to impress the franchises with their T20 skills and brighten their chances to get picked for the league. This year, things have been brought forward because of the ICC World Cup scheduled to take off on May 30.

For some, the timing makes Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy a perfect opportunity to prepare for the IPL. Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Ajinkya Rahane is one of them.

“Playing T20 here and straightway most of the guys will move on to IPL. It’s good in a way but right now, the focus should be on domestic T20 rather than thinking about the IPL so I always believe you have to be in present. Once you do that, everything else is looked after, so right now, as a team, we are focussed on Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. We are here to do well,” Ajinkya Rahane, the Mumbai captain, told Sportstar.

Mumbai thrash Sikkim by 154 runs in first match

Mumbai are clubbed with Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Saurashtra, Goa, Sikkim and Railways in Group C of the tournament. Rahane’s team had a solid start to their campaign this year as they hammered Sikkim by 154 runs in Indore. They scored a mammoth 258 in 20 overs before restricting Sikkim to 104. Shreyas Iyer slammed 147 off just 55 balls and his innings included 15 sixes and seven fours. Iyer leads Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

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