Assam Cricket Association vice-president Kamala Kalita, Ranji team coach Lalchand Rajput, writers Pabitra Gogoi and Tapash Roy at the function in Guwahati’s Nehru Stadium on Wednesday. Picture by S.H. Patgiri

Guwahati, Oct. 30: The timing was perfect. With the Ranji Trophy just 10 days away, a new book capturing Assam’s 50-year-old innings in the premier championship was released this afternoon at the Nehru Stadium here.

The first book of its kind in English, Assam in Ranji Trophy not only has the statistical data of the state’s 161 Ranji matches but also pays tribute to some of its outstanding yet unsung heroes.

It was only fitting that former Test cricketer and Assam’s first outstation Ranji coach Lalchand Rajput released the book, co-authored by sports journalist Pabitra Gogoi and Assam Cricket Association statistician Tapash Roy, at a function held at the Nehru Stadium this afternoon.

The 185-page book, priced at Rs 100 and published by the Abhiruchi Prakash, may not figure very highly on the literary scale, but the efforts of the writer duo need to be commended for the pains they took in gathering the facts for two years.

The book carries a brief note on some of the main contributors, including pace bowler and Ranji selector Anup Ghatak and M.P. Barooah, one of the finest batsmen to play for the state.

Others in the book include Rajput himself, his former colleague Chandrakant Pandit, ACA secretary Nandan Bezbaruah, Assam Cricket Academy head coach Kamal Das, openers Parag Das, Subhrajit Saikia, wicketkeeper Zakaria Zuffri, medium-pacers Gautam Dutta, Javed Zaman and spinner Sukhwinder Singh.

The authors requested the ACA to keep updating the book so that it does not lose its relevance in the years to come.

Guwahati Sports Association president J.K. Bora, ACA vice-president Kamala Kalita, all the Ranji probables and publisher Balendra Mohan Chakravarty were present on the occasion.