Babies day out at Deccan Gymkhana

Fourteen years ago two school kids answering by the name of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli hit headlines after their record partnership in Mumbai. On Thursday at the Deccan Gymkhana here it was another combination of a left and right batsmen following in their footsteps. Pune lads Raviraj Shenvi and Nikhil Paradkar compiled a 451 runs partnership to create a national record for BCCI conducted junior cricket tournaments.

In a under-15 game for the Polly Umrigar Trophy between Maharashtra and Gujarat at Deccan Gymkhana, Raviraj and Nikhil demolished a hapless bowling attack. The two put on 451 off 579 balls in 354 minutes for the fourth wicket. While right-handed Raviraj – a Sachin Tendulkar fan – scored 253 (482m, 33×4, 2×6, 355b); Nikhil – who idolises Brian Lara – hit 251 (354m, 37×4, 323b). Maharashtra thus ended up at 614/3.

Playing big innings is nothing new for the two. Recently Raviraj, a Class 8th student at Deccan Education Society, had scored a record 339 runs. And whose mark did he better? Nikhil, of course, who had scored 286 a week back.

So what lies ahead for this deadly duo? Maharashtra Ranji skipper Shantanu Sugwekar has called for their immediate inclusion in State senior side. We surely haven’t heard the last from them.