Gaekwad Junior’s special trip to the Eden Gardens

As Baroda clash with Bengal in the Ranji Trophy semi-final starting Friday, the 22-year-old left-hand batsman reckons there’s plenty to cherish since he is “one of the most ardent fans of Sourav left today,” to put it his own words. That explains the ‘coffin’ act.

Recollecting his intimacy with “idol” Ganguly this evening on the sidelines of the Baroda team’s practice, Shatrunjay said: “Sourav is my role model, the reason why I am playing cricket. To think that I will open my account this season in his hometown itself is an exciting feeling.”

For Shatrunjay, this isn’t his Ranji Trophy debut though. Having played three matches on the trot back in the 2003-04 season, the southpaw batsman missed out on playing any of the matches last season, before earning his place back for this crunch match.

Recalling the mentor-pupil relation he shares with the former India captain, Shatrunjay narrated: “I have always been a huge fan of Sourav. And since the time my father became the India coach, I got the opportunity to interact with Sourav whenever I wanted – it was like a dream come true. Sourav since then has given me valuable tips – so many that I can’t even list.”

Wherever he goes, the middle-order batsman always carries a photograph of his idol with his kits. Ask him about it, and he breaks into a smile. “I’m just far too fond of Sourav. I make it a point to carry it in my coffin on all my trips,” he said.

Shatrunjay, who opened his Ranji Trophy account in the 2003-04 season with an 82-run knock against Andhra Pradesh at home, asserted that the credit for much of the fine-tuning that he has been through in the area of off-side batting, goes to the 32-year-old player.

“I keep calling him up for advice. It’s only obvious today that it was because of Sourav’s tips that I could improve my off-side play,” he said.