Skipper looks to add feather to growing domestic cap

“Life goes on,” Mohammad Kaif clucked and said casually, distancing himself from any of the cameras fretting over his omission from the Test squad. Having busied himself with the task of guiding UP to the Ranji Trophy final, Kaif helped himself to identical scores of 64 in each innings of the semifinal against Mumbai.

Leading the charge by being the top-score in the second essay, the India international had done enough to leave selectors suitably satisfied, but more importantly ensured that his unfancied team put the mighty Mumbai in shade on all four days and trotted comfortably into the final.

“My job was to make them comfortable in the dressing room and help them play their natural game. We played very positive in the latter stages of the league games and in the semifinals to reach here,” said Kaif, who after clinching the Duleep Trophy last year and Challenger series this season, besides being India’s only junior World Cup winning captain, is looking to be at the helm of a Ranji-champion unit.