Ganesh Satish revels in double ton

Ganesh Satish has hit a double century in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra. Satish’s magnificent 275 has put Vidarbha in the driver’s seat.
This double century is all the more special for Satish as it coincides with his 100th first-class match. On this special occasion, Satish made it even more memorable, regering his best individual score to date. His previous best, 237, was against Andhra in the 2019-20 season.

2⃣7⃣5⃣ Runs4⃣8⃣2⃣ Balls3⃣3⃣ Fours5⃣ Sixes
Ganesh Satish – the Vidarbha right-hander – was on a roll with the bat & played a fantastic knock against Maharashtra. 👏 👏 #RanjiTrophy | #VIDvMAH | @Paytm
A snippet of his knock 🎥 🔽 pic.twitter.com/N7ceViYlGH
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 25, 2022

“Ranji Trophy is the biggest opportunity for domestic cricketers to showcase their talent. It is the livelihood of more than 600 players. All the greats of Indian cricket come up from the Ranji trophy and it is also a matter of pride to say I’m a Ranji Cricketer.” Satish said.
Talking to The Indian Express, Satish shared his feelings about playing his 100th first-class match and scoring a double century. “It feels great and honestly it does not feel any different from any other game. I just take it game game. The first game or 100th game was not going to change the way I approached it. It’s just great and obviously, I feel proud to have played so many games. I am really happy that I contributed with the bat for my team.”

‘Nagpur is my second home’
Satish played a vast chunk of his cricket for Karnataka before migrating to Vidarbha. “I won the Ranji Trophy with Karnataka and I scored a century in the final. After a while, I had a difference of opinion with the selectors there and the team think-tank. I decided to shift base and join a team where I would get stability and game-time,” Satish said.
Expressing his feelings about the Vidarbha team, he said: “I think, all of us get along very well. It is a small region in Maharashtra but everyone gets along really well. We play as a team and I think that’s the best part. Ever since I moved from Karnataka to Vidarbha, I have never felt like I am an outsider. I always felt like Nagpur is my second home. This is my eighth year with Vidarbha and we won the Ranji trophy twice. It has been a fantastic journey.”
Early days
Born to doctor parents, Satish started playing cricket at the age of five. His parents have been supportive of him all through his journey. His father’s love for cricket made him encourage his son to play cricket. Satish said: “I started playing leather ball cricket when I was five. My dad took me to the Brijesh Patel cricket academy. He saw some talent in me. That’s how I started my journey. My dad is a huge cricket lover and my parents are doctors. They encouraged me to play cricket. Until the 12th standard, until I played for India U-19, studies always came first at home, but then slowly they saw that I had the potential to play highest-level cricket. They always encouraged me to follow my passion. That’s when cricket took precedence. I represented Karnataka at U-12 and U-14 age groups. Then I played all the age-group tournaments for Karnataka. At the age of 20, I made my debut for the Karnataka senior squad.”
Playing for India is the biggest motivation
The 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman acknowledges that age is a factor when it comes to professional cricketers but he does not want it to become an impediment. He said: “I know obviously, it gets tough once you cross 30, but my dream is to play Test cricket. This is what motivates me to perform better every time I go out there in the middle. I won’t give up on my dream until I stop playing. I will continue to strive for it.”
There are times when a player is unable to perform to the best of his ability. According to Satish, the key is to be consent. He confessed: “I have been through tough times but you have to believe in yourself. The support system is very important and I am lucky to have my parents, my brother and my wife to support me during my tough times. When I made the decision to leave Karnataka, they stood me. My coach Rajesh Kamath has been with me since my childhood. He helped me shape my batting throughout.”

Talking about winning the Ranji Trophy twice while playing for Vidarbha, he said: “I think the first time, nobody expected us to win the trophy. But we always believed that we have the talent and we can win. Everyone put their hands up in the crucial moments. We had that experience since Wasim Jaffer was there with the side. We have a team of fighters. Since you are the champions, people will be more aware and wanted to prove that it is not a one-time affair. So the second year also, we played brilliantly and won the title.”