Jharkhand' Ranji team is praying that the famous Midas touch of M.S. Dhoni rubs on to them as well and they qualify for the quarter-final.
Not without reason.
In the lead-up to the last match versus Himachal Pradesh in Ranchi (November 23-26), the Jharkhand team had got a number of tips from the Team India skipper, who was then in Jharkhand.
The icing on the cake was that they won the match, firming their chances of qualifying to the knockout stage (read quarter-final) of the premier domestic competition after a poor start in the 2015-16 season.
The Shahbaz Nadeem-captained Jharkhand senior outfit, along with Himachal Pradesh, is placed third on the table with 24 points.
For a side riddled with factionalism among players and backed by a string of poor performances, the sudden turnaround is a huge relief for the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA), which spends a substantial amount in preparing the players.
"Dhoni's mantra was simple. He told the boys to enjoy the game and play with an uncluttered mind. This helped the boys a lot and their performance improved," JSCA secretary Rajesh Verma told The Telegraph.
Jharkhand has so far played seven matches and posted three outright wins versus Kerala, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh. They have lost versus Services and Saurashtra and drew against Goa and Jammu and Kashmir.
The home side takes on Hyderabad in their last Group C outing, beginning December 1, while Himachal Pradesh will lock horns with Kerala.
Coming to the arithmetic, Jharkhand has to post an outright win over Hyderabad if they stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout stage. Similar is the case with Himachal Pradesh.
But the state squad will have to also keep an eye out for Saurashtra and Kerala. The former tops Group C with 29 points while Kerala is placed second with 25 points. In the given situation, performance of both these teams will have a bearing on Jharkhand's fate.
If both Saurashtra and Kerala emerge victorious, Jharkhand will be out of the fray.
Saurashtra and Kerala will qualify for the next round with 35 and 31 points, respectively, if they win. They will be left with 32 and 28 points, respectively, if both sides play draws.
Saurashtra and Kerala will, of course, stand where they presently are on the points table (29 and 25 points) if they lose. In the event of a draw, Saurashtra will be one of the teams to qualify.
Jharkhand, if they win the match, will top the table with 30 points in case both Saurashtra and Kerala lose and thus qualify for the next stage. Himachal Pradesh, too, will be in a similar situation.
"Yes, the upcoming match versus Hyderabad is of utmost importance. We are keeping our fingers crossed as a lot will depend on the outcome of Saurashtra and Kerala matches. But our boys will play their game and maintain the momentum," Verma said.
