“Individual records won't suffice anymore, play for the team and be a match-winner” – New Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla’s mantra to end 33-year Ranji Trophy drought

It’s a reunion of sorts in Bengal cricket. The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Tuesday (July 26) appointed Laxmi Ratan Shukla as the senior team’s head coach for the upcoming season, putting an end to a month-long speculation.

Former Indian opener WV Raman, who previously worked as Bengal’s head coach in two stints, has been appointed as a batting consultant and will lend his services for a 50-day period over the next year.

Shukla’s former colleagues Saurasish Lahiri, Shib Sankar Paul, Arindam Das and Sanjib Sanyal have also been assigned coaching duties across various age groups.

The appointments of Shukla and Raman mark the duo’s return to Bengal’s senior team after nearly a decade. As a player, Shukla was integral to Raman’s team and propelled Bengal to many memorable victories during his illustrious domestic career.

It was under Raman’s tutelage that Bengal won their last two titles – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2011 and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2012, where Shukla was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his all-round exploits (291 runs and 11 wickets). Since then, the state has gone trophyless, crumbling under pressure in knockout games time and again.

This is not to suggest that Bengal are staring into the abyss. In fact, they are in the midst of a resurgence ignited by former Indian opener Arun Lal, who was in charge of the team for the past three years before resigning last month, citing old age and fatigue.

Led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, the team reached the final and the semi-finals in the last two editions of the Ranji Trophy. They’ve also groomed a lethal pace battery comprising Ishan Porel, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar that can rattle any batting line-up in the country.

Bengal’s batting, meanwhile, has looked vulnerable in crunch situations, the latest instance being their Ranji semi-final against Madhya Pradesh in June where they were bundled out for 273 and 175 in the two innings respectively. Bengal lost the match by 174 runs.

Shukla knows that Bengal must overcome their knockout hoodoo if they are to end their 33-year Ranji Trophy drought. For the former Bengal captain, individual brilliance is a dime a dozen in his side. He now wants the team to come together and imbibe a winning mentality that will hinge on an attacking brand of cricket.

In a recent chat with Sportskeeda, Shukla spoke on a wide range of topics, including his coaching transition from the Under-25 level to the senior team, his coaching philosophy, Sourav Ganguly’s impact on his life, and more.

Known for his aggressive batting and useful medium-pace, the former all-rounder represented India in three ODIs in 1999 and retired from all forms of professional cricket in 2015.

Shukla also served as West Bengal’s Minister of State for Youth Services and Sports between 2016 and 2021.

Here are the excerpts:

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Q: You regret not winning the Ranji Trophy as a player, but now you’re back in the same Bengal dressing room as a coach. Do you see in your new role a chance for redemption?

Shukla: I never left Bengal cricket, so there’s no question of starting afresh. I always encourage our players, both male and female. Even when I was an MLA, I used to have my lunch at the CAB canteen.

After my retirement, I played for Salkia Friends for a couple of years to see the kind of talent Bengal’s second division clubs have. Whether as captain or head coach, I always feel proud when I wear the Bengal jersey.

Q: What are the takeaways from your stint as Bengal’s Under-25 coach?

Shukla: There’s a huge difference between playing and coaching. As a coach, you have to control things from the sidelines, whereas Laxmi Ratan Shukla has always gone out there and performed. I now feel that a player’s life is slightly easier as they have their performance in their hands. The coach, meanwhile, is a passive observer.

You can’t afford to have a rigid mind. You need to have backup plans. A captain has to be flexible and make his own decisions. That’s what I did when I led Bengal.

I took up the Under-25 coaching job because I wanted to see if I was ready for coaching or not. I’m not someone who would treat the Under-25 and senior teams differently.

At the end of the day, we’re all representing Bengal, so it doesn’t matter if you’re in the Under-19 team, the Under-25 team or the senior team. I myself want to work very hard and make the boys work equally hard.

Q: Is there any coach whom you idolize?

Shukla: I don’t believe in role-models, but I’m an ardent follower of Dadi (Sourav Ganguly). He’s the most sorted out person I’ve seen. When I played under Dadi’s captaincy, we never had long team meetings. All his instructions were simple and straightforward. I’m trying to imbibe that philosophy in my coaching.

Q: What, according to you, ails this Bengal team? Many experts have started calling them "chokers"’ due to their repeated failures in the knockout stages across formats…

Shukla: The past is in the past. Let’s not bother about what some people are saying. We’ll be very busy with the things that are in our control. I’m not too concerned about our past results. We should be determined to write our own history.

Q: Bengal have struggled to find a good opening partner for Abhimanyu Easwaran. Are you planning to rejig the batting order?

Shukla: I hate change just for the sake of change. Whoever plays well will be an automatic selection. I don’t want to see names. I want to see match-winning performances. Your runs and wickets will be of use only if the team wins.

There are still a couple of months left before the start of the new season. We’ll take part in the Global T20 tournament in Namibia in September and play some pre-season games. Team selection will be based on the performances in these matches.

Q: Which players from Bengal’s U-25 batch have impressed you the most?

Shukla: Sudip Gharami did pretty well in the Ranji Trophy. Ankit Mishra and Pradipta Pramanik are quite promising too. We’re also grooming some young all-rounders. We need more multi-utility cricketers for the shorter formats.

Q: Why is there a dearth of quality spinners in Bengal’s first-class team?

Shukla: David da (Utpal Chatterjee) and Saurasish Lahiri are trying their best to unearth new spinners. If you want to make a mark at this level, you can’t always expect others to groom you. You have to groom yourself. You should increase your training hours and be more serious about your craft.

Q: It’s a reunion of the 2001-2015 batch as you, Shib Sankar Paul and Saurasish Lahiri are now part of Bengal’s coaching staff. Is it true that CAB are planning to assign a coaching role to Ashok Dinda as well?

Shukla: That’s possible. Let’s see. Sanjib Sanyal and Don (Arindam Das) have also been inducted into Bengal’s coaching staff. Don is the new Under-16 coach, and Sanjib will be with the Under-19 team. It’s a good reunion (smiles).

Q: Manoj Tiwary was Bengal’s second-highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy last season. He’ll soon turn 37 and is getting busier with his ministerial duties. Will he be in your scheme of things for the upcoming season?

Shukla: Manoj is a great player and an example for the younger generation. When you have a strong character like him in the team, you don’t need to look outside for inspiration. You can learn a lot by just sharing the dressing room with him. All the youngsters in my team should observe and emulate his work ethic.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla (left) and Manoj Tiwary (right) - Two pillars of Bengal cricket. Image: Twitter/@Lshukla6

Q: Do you think there’s no local representation in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) anymore?

Shukla: As I said earlier, individual records won't suffice anymore. You have to play for the team and be a match-winner. You have to help Bengal win the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

When I, Manoj, Dinda and Wriddhiman [Saha] were regulars in the IPL, we were all match-winners in domestic cricket. You’ll find many players who can score runs, but we need more match-winners from Bengal. All my players are good. I expect them to win us more matches next season.

Q: What did Sourav Ganguly tell you after you took up the job?

Shukla: I talk to Dadi quite often. He wanted me to take charge of the team. I hope I can continue in the same way I used to play.