Muttiah Muralitharan's protege Aamir Gani excelling for surprise Ranji package Bengal

Gani has already picked up 21 wickets in his debut Ranji campaign

After two years of lacklustre performances, Bengal cricket has seen a meteoric rise in proceedings. A seven match unbeaten Ranji Trophy run, along with stellar individual efforts have been highlights of their current campaign. Pivotal to their on-field success has been Indian U-19 international spinner Aamir Gani.

The bowler hailing from Banaras has picked up 21 wickets, including a six wicket haul in the recent demolition of Odisha. Gani has also highlighted his batting proficiency, by scoring two half centuries against Delhi and Maharashtra respectively. However, the Banaras-born all-rounder’s recent positive growth pattern can be attributed to a case of natural progression.

Spotted at the age of 10 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, he was immediately chosen for a local government camp. However, his big breakthrough came when he moved to Bengal.

In 2007, Gani was selected to play club cricket in the local league’s second division. Playing for Howrah Union, the 13-year old picked up 22 wickets in his first season.

He said, “I was selected for the Bengal U-16 team, when I was 14, but I didn’t play. But one of my most important seasons was when I played the first division. I took around 26 wickets and scored 600 runs.”

Gani was instrumental in his team’s defeat of Manoj Tiwary led table-toppers Kalighat. A five-wicket haul was good enough to earn him a call-up from the National Academy. After impressing national coaches, he took 45 wickets for the Bengal junior team, underlining his national call-up credentials.

It is at this point that Gani first came into the limelight. Yet another five wicket haul against Scotland in the 2014 U-19 World Cup group stages stood out as an exemplary display of his off-spin bowling. A lot of his upward surge is accredited to Muttiah Muralitharan.

Muralitharan, Ganguly’s guidance

He said, “I am a part of the Bengal Vision T-20 programme, this particular programme had Muralitharan as one of the mentors, since I was a spinner he taught me a lot of things. He taught me a lot, when I was going to play for the senior team. He told me that the main job of a spinner is to actually stop the run flow, because we bowl more overs than the pacers. Yes, we need to bowl wicket-taking deliveries, but since the quantity is higher we should focus on accuracy. He also taught us how to use our stamina, because Ranji Trophy is really hectic. But the main aspect he integrated into my game is how to maintain accuracy for a long period of time.”

The Vision 2020 programme, a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) initiative was launched to create a smooth transition for Bengal players to the national team. Launched last year, the programme also roped in the likes of VVS Laxman, Waqar Younis and Muralitharan for coaching youngsters. A major boost for the programme came when it received funding from IDBI Federal Life Insurance.

This is where Gani’s raw talent was streamlined into consistent performances. He said, “When I met Sourav Ganguly last year, he told me that he just doesn’t want my career to end for Bengal Ranji. He told me that there are chances for me to play for India, if I stay disciplined and focused, such encouraging words from a man who has been there and done that, definitely motivates you to play better.”

He added, “The environment within the dressing room is very positive. All the players want to do well. My coach Joydeep Sir has helped me a lot to train me as well, it’s important one keeps practising and I have a long way to go.”

Bengal are currently third in Group A, with a game in hand on Delhi. Talking about his most difficult moments in his first Ranji season, he said, “For me the Delhi game was very difficult, there was a lot of sledging going on, but I scored a 62 and took three wickets. They had a very strong batting and bowling line-up, it was a mental test for me. Also my performance against Odisha, that was a major boost”

Team Manager Sameer Dasgupta also spoke about Gani’s dedication. He said, “Both Aamir and Sudeep Chatterjee have done really well this season. They are a hard working duo, and have a positive impact on the dressing room environment.”

Ever since the retirement of Utpal Chatterjee, Bengal is yet to produce a consistent wicket-taking spinner. Along with former India international Pragyan Ojha (29 wickets), Gani could be Bengal’s key to Ranji success this season.