With Sri Lanka Tests pushed back to March, Cheteshwar Pujara-Ajinkya Rahane set to get Ranji Trophy lifeline

Ranji Trophy has offered a lifeline to veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to get their Test career back on track. With Test series against Sri Lanka set to be played from first week of March after the T20Is starting February 25, a big hundred in the Ranji Trophy will provide the confidence that they need and probably ensure that they retain their place in the Indian team. The Elite group games will start from February 16 after the Plate group matches begin from February 10 and both under-fire seniors will get two matches at least to convince the selectors. Both seasoned batters have already started training with the Mumbai and Saurashtra squad respectively and are determined to score the big runs that are expected of them. In fact, both will be in opposite teams if they are part of the crucial Saurashtra-Mumbai fixture in Ahmedabad. "Ajinkya is definitely looking forward to it. We have met a few times now, he has been practising with the Mumbai team. He has had about couple of sessions already. Looked absolutely in fine touch," Mumbai coach Amol Mujumdar told PTI. "We don't have to look too much into the future but what is lying ahead of us is Ranji Trophy. They both are due for a big one. I feel it is just a question of confidence. Sometimes batting is nothing but confidence. "If you can regain that confidence somehow. It will come only if you score a big hundred," added Mujumdar. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly also expects Pujara and Rahane to pile on the runs in the premier domestic competition.

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