Mumbai Indians bowler Abu Nechim Ahmed celebrates after dismissing Pune Warriors batsman Jesse Ryder during the IPL Twenty20 match between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Wednesday. Nechim ripped through the Pune Warriors top order with figures reading 4-1-13-2. Mumbai Indians won the match by 7 wickets. (AFP)

Guwahati, April 20: Assam’s bonding with the ongoing IPL IV grew stronger today with Sachin Tendulkar reposing confidence in state paceman Abu Nechim Ahmed to replace big gun Harbhajan Singh in the Mumbai Indians’ match against Pune Warriors at Wankhede stadium this afternoon.

Abu’s figures of two for 13 off three overs, including a maiden, while doing justice to Sachin’s decision, has triggered hope among cricket aficionados here that this could an eye-opener for other teams in the cash-rich league regarding the talent of the state’s players.

Former BCCI junior selector Kamal Das put it rightly when he said: “It is a great performance for someone who gets the opportunity rarely. Now that he has proved himself a worthy one, I hope the Mumbai Indians team management will give him some more matches because he is currently at the peak of his form, which lasts for a very short period in the career of fast bowlers.”

“The disgraceful part in Abu's story is that while Sachin Tendulkar reposes confidence in him to replace a spinner like Harbhajan Singh, the East Zone selectors feel he is not worthy of the zonal squad in the Duleep Trophy or the Deodhar Trophy tournaments. Similar is the case with Arlen Konwar. I think, Abu’s show today will be an eye-opener for the East Zone selectors,” he added.

Spinner Konwar, all-rounder Dhiraj Goswami and paceman Pritam Das are the other players in the IPL fold and the former first class player feels their respective teams, too, would now feel it necessary to try them out in the field. Konwar and Goswami are on contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders and Das in the Mumbai Indians academy. All of them are cooling heels back home here.

Former Assam Ranji team skipper Syed Zakaria Zuffri also said Abu's performance today was “outstanding” and hoped he would be the torchbearer for other talented cricketers of the state who are still awaiting an opportunity. “I hope this will be the beginning of an era for cricketers from Assam, as the national attention will now be on our players now, like in the case of Jharkhand,” he said.

Senior first class cricketer of the state, Nishanta Bordoloi, felt Abu was “going to be the first from Assam in the senior international fold if he continues with his current form in the IPL”.

“In the first place, it is an achievement to win the confidence of a great player like Sachin Tendulkar, and living up to it is an even greater achievement. The other teams should also try out our players now. I believe our other players will also live up to the expectations,” he said.