Mithun Manhas goes back to hometown team, says no regrets on leaving Delhi

Manhas is now J&K’s run-machine

It seems Mithun Manhas’ cricket career is going places. Manhas is on the brink of becoming the fourth batsman to score 8000 runs in the Ranji Trophy. For the upcoming season, Manhas has left Delhi and will be playing with Jammu and Kashmir.

The right hand batsman is orginally from Kashmir, but had come to Delhi as opportunites in Kashmir were not aplenty.

"It's a sort of mixed bag emotions," Manhas said, according to ESPNcricinfo. "While it was difficult to move on from Delhi where my cricket career has shaped up, I am delighted to be joining Jammu and Kashmir. Not only is it my home team but also because the team has been doing quite well in the domestic circuit over the last couple of years. I hope I can help them take their games to the next level."

Manhas debuted with legends like Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra and Aakash Chopra. The fact that the other three went on to be a part of the national side and Manhas did not does not imply that he was not as good, because at the time the Indian middle order was strong with the presence of stars like VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly.

Want to help JK become a top domestic team: Manhas

Manhas is sure that he has no regrets on leaving Delhi, although he credits the team for developing his cricket skills and for giving him exposure. He believes the Delhi team has plenty of young talent, and experienced seniors to take care of them; so Manhas’ leaving will not leave a hole waiting to be filled.

"I spoke with Chetan Chauhan [the former India opener, who is now a DDCA vice-president] and he told me I could help groom Delhi youngsters," Manhas said. "But I thought there are plenty of youngsters who are ready to shoulder more responsibility, so I should not stick around.

"Moreover, experienced players like Rajat [Bhatia] and Gautam [Gambhir] will ensure the youngsters will be taken care of even in Viru's [Sehwag, who has moved to Haryana] and my absence."

Manhas’ record is impressive. He has 9071 first class runs to his credit, in a total of 147 first class matches, at an average of 45.81.

"I am sure I have at least a couple of seasons left in me, so records isn't a concern," he said. "The primary focus will be to help Jammu & Kashmir take yet another step towards becoming a consistently top team in domestic circuit."