New Delhi, May 26 Eagles Nashik Titans captain Prashant Solanki led his side to the finals of the 2024 Maharashtra Premier League, but were defeated by Ratnagiri Jets in the ultimate clash.
With learnings from playing under MS Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings, the 25-year-old is aiming to take his side past the final hurdle and ‘rectify’ their performance in the ultimate clash, which resulted in a 34-run defeat, this time around.
“Finals, be it any tournament, I feel have a different kind of pressure coming in with them. We had played extremely good cricket throughout the final. It's just that one inning, we couldn't click. It did hurt. Obviously, you want to win the final. You want to lift that trophy.
“It's just that, as I had learned in the last 3–4 years, our process wasn't quite right in that game. I guess that's why we couldn't click. We couldn't cross the final hurdle. The mindset doesn't change. You just go and rectify what could have been better. The next time you get such big stages, such big opportunities, you try to make the most of it,” Solanki told IANS.
Solanki, a right-arm leg-break bowler hailing from Mumbai, originally joined Chennai Super Kings in 2022, after previously being with the team as a net bowler, when his services were acquired for INR 1.2 crore. He made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings against Gujarat Titans at Wankhede Stadium. He didn’t pick any wickets in his first match but scalped the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer in the following game against Rajasthan Royals.
When asked of the learnings he absorbed from MS Dhoni, one of India’s greatest ever captains, Solanki replied “Everyone says he's so calm. He keeps things very simple and everything. The reason I feel behind so much of his success is transparency between him and the bowler. Transparency with him and the staff.
“I also try to be calm in pressure situations or take an extra breath at that point of time to clear my head and try to make the right decision. That breathing thing helps, which I have noticed. He does it a lot in pressure situations while he's batting or leading. He takes that extra second. That extra second can always make a lot of difference, I feel,” he added.
State based T20 tournaments are of vital importance for any youngster hoping to make a name for themselves. One of the biggest examples of such is the meteoric rise of Punjab Kings batter Priyansh Arya whose career was fast tracked after his exceptional outing during the 2024 Delhi Premier League.
One such example is Eagle Nashik Titans teammate, Arshin Kulkarni. The all-rounder was selected for the India U19 squad following his outings in last years MPL and was later secured by Lucknow Super Giants for his base price of INR 30 lakh
Solanki spoke on the importance of such tournaments given the eyeballs it attracts on young talents.
“Such tournaments are really important for us. As you mentioned, people shine from their own state leagues. We also had heroes in our state leagues. Our team itself had Arshin Kulkarni, who made a brilliant 100 in the first MPL. Then went on to play India U19 and got into the IPL circle for LSG. Our team has more IPL players like Mukesh Chaudhary. He plays in our team, and myself. These tournaments are very important for us as youngsters to make a mark, grab the spotlight, or grab the eyes of the scouts of the IPL franchises, as they all come in and watch these games.
“Plus, we enjoy the cricket in our state circle itself, where all the quality players come in. Healthy competition, good ground, Kookaburra ball—everything is just like a mini version of IPL, where you play in your own state. It's an amazing experience. It's very much an opportunity for each and every youngster out there. People who are playing domestic cricket continuously, people who are trying to make their mark—such leagues are very important,” Solanki said.
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