Mumbai tour diary – 4: Experiencing a live cricket auction, tough matches, and non-stop cricket at Saphale

By K.R. Nayar

It was a day of two hard-fought matches for the Under-12 boys, non-stop cricket for all including the under-14 players, continuous tips from G-Force coaches to excel, and an experience of how it would to be auctioned on becoming a franchise league player, at the Omtex ICWC cricket facility in Saphale. G Force’s Under-10 bowler Ayushman also received his best bowler award from former Indian cricketer Suru Nayak.

Neil Siddharth and Jaimeek Shah... fighting knocks

The call of cricket woke everyone up at 5.15am for the second day in succession to travel to Saphale. The schedule of the day was a 25-over match for Under-12 boys and a 20-over match for Under-10 boys against the same age group boys of the Omtex ICWC teams. The boys were so enthusiastic and eager to play that the warm-up for the match started from the bus itself.  

The Under-12 match was a high-scoring contest. Omtex ICWC posted 183 for 4 in their 25 overs through knocks from Arhaan Patel (30), Jeet Raut (25), and Bhargav Thakur (22).  G Force chased the score valiantly through opener Aditya Ramesh’s 27 runs off 29 balls with four boundaries and captain Jaimeek Shah’s knock of 41 off 37 balls with five fours. Neil Siddharth too chipped in with 32 off 38 balls but G Force could muster only 158 for 3 in the allotted 25 overs.

Shanay Patel ... fine knock 

The Under-10 match saw G Force opening batsman Shanay Patel cracking 40 off 37 balls before retiring hurt. Karthik too chipped in with 19 runs to help G Force post 123 for 6 in 20 overs. Omtex ICWC replied strongly through their opener Satish Mhatre scoring 51 runs off 32 balls with eight boundaries. They reached the target losing two wickets in 16.4 overs. Ayushman stood out among the bowlers taking both the wickets giving away just eight runs from his two overs.

Sachin Jagtap explains about fitness through videos 

While all this was happening, the coaches were busy not only motivating the other players but also giving them tips on how to be a better player. G Force’s Strength and Conditioning coach Sachin Jagtap gave lessons on how to be fit and showed them videos that covered anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and biomechanics. He stressed the importance of fitness, what it means to perform well, and how vital team bonding is for a team's success.

Coach Kiran Patel assists in making smaller pieces of the chicken   

The individual attention given by the coaches was a treat to watch. Coach Kiran Patel, who is 70, is an embodiment of fitness, and the care with which he treats players is indeed remarkable. During lunch he ensured that the Under -10 boys were assisted in cutting the chicken pieces to bite-size portions, small enough for them to eat. This personal care has been the hallmark of G Force Academy’s tours over the years, and the tradition continues.

After the match, all players attended an auction similar to the Indian Premier League. This was conducted as part of the Omtex ICWC T20 Premier League to be held at this venue from April 30 to May 8, 2022. The Governor for the function was former Indian cricketer Suru Nayak. Before the function, all top performers of the match between G Force and Omtex ICWC were given awards. When G Force’s Under-10 bowler Ayushman received the trophy for best bowler from Suru Nayak, there was a loud clap from the audience for the tiny champion bowler. After presenting him the trophy, Suru Nayak gave him a warm and affectionate hug.

G Force under-10 bowler Ayushman gets a hug from former Indian cricketer Suru Nayak

G Force’s Head Coach Gopal Jasapara, who was the Chief Guest for the event, addressed the gathering and said that this tour to Saphale was just a beginning. “We will not only have reciprocal tours, but every March 25 we will be here to play a series of matches,” he announced.

G Force Head Coach Gopal Jasapara address the gathering for the auction 

The auction was spectacular because all top performers in domestic matches who were picked as icon players were paraded on the stage before the bidding began. These players basked in the glory of being auctioned, with teams bidding strongly for them amidst loud claps and cheer. While the bidding, the claps and cheers continued, we left for Mumbai, with some of the G Force players saying that one day they too would try to become an IPL player and get auctioned.

The icon players being paraded at the auction 

It was laughter and fun all the way back to Mumbai with the bus traveling at a good speed due to lack of traffic on a Sunday. There was a lot for the players to write in their hand book about what they had learned and experienced during the day from the match, their coaches, and all that happened in and around the Omtex ICWC premises.