Bhubaneswar: While speaking to OTV, captain of Odisha cricket team, Biplab Samantaray said his team is very well prepared for the Ranji Trophy scheduled to begin from November 1.
"Our preparation is going really well. We are excited about the new faces in the team especially Rajesh Mohanty, who was part of the U-19 Asia Cup-winning national team. The team looks quite balanced and there is a good mixture of experience. We are hopeful that the season will go well for us,” Samantaray said.
Speaking about individual players, the team captain said, “Batsmen like Anurag and Sandeep Patnaik are in a good form. Similarly, Govind Poddar, who is the best batsman of our team, has also been doing well. As an all-rounder we have Abhishek Rout. Everyone has potential but everyone should show it during the matches."
Praising bowlers, Samantaray said that Basant Mohanty will play an instrumental role for the team. “If he gets (Mohanty) us early breakthroughs, the team will be benefitted. Even Suryakant Pradhan's experience will also help us a lot. Among spinners Pappu Roy, who has been a sensation this year, is an important asset for the team,” Samantaray said.
This year Odisha will play 5 matches at home and 4 matches outside.
Odisha, which has secured a place in the elite group, will play its first match against Haryana in Bhubaneswar on November 1.