Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Parthiv Patel feels winning matches is more important than personal achievements 

What's the story?

Gujarat's Ranji Trophy captain, Parthiv Patel, has opened up on his future in the world of cricket, stating that he will continue to play as long as he enjoys himself in the middle. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman also reflected on his 11,000 FC runs and said that winning matches is more important than focusing on personal achievements.

The background

Parthiv Patel has played a leading role in the rise of Gujarat at the domestic level. A lot of players from the state have made it to the international arena, with Jasprit Bumrah being the biggest name. Patel, who made his Test debut way back in 2002, had made a comeback to the Test side in 2018 but could not cement his position in the team. He has continued to play for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy and is currently leading the side in the quarterfinal match against Goa.

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The heart of the matter

Speaking to Sportstar after the end of day one's play against Goa, the 34-year-old gave details about his future in cricket. He said:

“Obviously you have reached a stage where you have to take it season by season. Before the start of every season, you sit down with coaches and the family and see if you can last yet another season. As long as I am enjoying and maintaining that balance, there’s no reason I should stop playing.”

When asked about his feelings over breaching the 11,000-run landmark in first-class cricket, Patel continued:

“I think winning games and all of that is more important. Doing it year after year is even more important. More than anything else, going out there and playing cricket is something I always enjoy, doesn’t really matter what level of cricket it is. I was looking forward to going past 11,000.”

Finally, he spoke about his role in the journeys of Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Siddharth Desai, and Priyank Panchal. He concluded with the following statement:

“Besides, (I am) having fun on and off the ground, enjoying myself, passing on experience and seeing some of the youngsters going ahead and doing well for India - like Jasprit (Bumrah) and Axar (Patel), Priyank (Panchal) has done well for India A and Siddharth (Desai) has played India Under-19. You feel good to have contributed a little bit in their success.”

What's next?

Parthiv Patel's hundred has helped Gujarat cross the 500-run mark against Goa. The team has lost seven wickets, with Roosh Kalaria and Chintan Gaja still batting in the middle. It will be intriguing to see if Gujarat can qualify for the semifinals of the tournament.