Unmukt eyes final glory

 Describing his excellent form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy so far, Delhi batsman Unmukt Chand said that it was good to be among runs and felt that he was one of the mainstays of the team.

Unmukt is the highest run-scorer for Delhi in the tournament with 308 runs under his belt and his unbeaten 80 fashioned his side’s six-wicket victory over Himachal Pradesh in the semifinals here on Saturday.

Speaking on the win, Unmukt said: “The wicket was much better for batting when compared to the last two matches played on this ground. I wouldn't call it a batting paradise but it was much better. I feel good to be among runs and I am looking forward to the final now.”

Unmukt added that it was important for the set batsmen to play a long innings in order to prevent sudden collapses, which Delhi experienced in the past. “It is really important for me, Gauti bhai (Gambhhir) or Shikhar (Dhanwan) to chip in and make sure that whenever we are set, we need to carry on. We saw during the league phase where a couple of quick wickets in the middle order resulted in a collapse. And we lost the match against Vidarbha for the same reason,” he noted.

Delhi’s only title came in the 2012-13 edition, when they beat Assam by 75 runs and Unmukt had played a major role in his team’s win with a century and the 22-year-old hopes to repeat the same performance in Monday’s final. “It is special to score a hundred in the finals. It was great winning the title. If I can repeat the same thing again on Monday, I will be more than happy. But Delhi winning is more important than personal milestones.”