Hubli, Feb 26 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra downplayed his on-field headbutt incident with Karnataka batter Aneesh during the Ranji Trophy final, saying it was a momentary lapse that quickly passed, even as he continued to lead from the front with a milestone performance in a historic summit clash.
Dogra, who recently crossed the landmark of 10,500 runs in the Ranji Trophy and became only the second batter to breach the 10,000-run mark in the tournament, remained composed when addressing the brief flashpoint, emphasising his calm temperament and focus on contributing fully to his team’s cause.
“I don’t really get angry. It happens a little bit sometimes. It (the frustration) was there for a second, but it was all normal again, and everyone was joking around afterwards. As for motivation, I try to live life day by day. I focus on what needs to be done tomorrow, whether it’s batting, fielding, or playing my game, and how I can give my 100 per cent. That’s what stays in my mind: if I have to give 4–5 hours, I’ll give my absolute best. After that, whatever happens, happens,” Dogra told broadcasters ahead of play on Day 3.
The veteran batter backed up his leadership with the bat, producing a composed 70 in the final to anchor Jammu and Kashmir’s innings in their maiden appearance in the Ranji Trophy title clash. Despite the personal milestone, Dogra reiterated that team success remained his primary objective.
“It felt good to score 70 runs. It will feel even better if we win. The effort is to score as quickly and as well as possible so that we can put them under pressure. Otherwise, yes, it was a 70-run innings, and I enjoyed it. It would have been even more enjoyable if it had turned into a hundred,” he said.
Dogra’s longevity in domestic cricket has been built on his ability to adapt, and he credited his day-by-day approach and commitment to maintaining high fitness standards alongside younger players.
“To be honest, I believe in living life day by day. As the skill level of the younger players keeps improving and their fitness levels keep rising, I always tell myself that it’s very important to match them. So I push myself accordingly. With God’s grace, my body is also holding up well,” he said.
His innings in the final came after identifying and correcting a minor technical flaw through extended practice sessions with the coaching staff, including head coach Ajay Ratra and assistant Dishant Yagnik.
“There was a slight technical fault, so I spoke to Ajay sir about it. The next morning, we spent about 1–1.5 hours in the nets working on it. Dishant Yagnik also gave a lot of support. We worked on that issue, and it made a difference. I was able to apply those corrections,” Dogra explained.
The Jammu and Kashmir skipper also spoke about the challenge of losing experienced players like Shubham Khajuria and Vanshaj Sharma to injuries ahead of the crucial encounter, but praised the squad’s belief and depth.
“It was very disappointing, to be honest. Shubham Khajuria has been a very senior player for us for a long time, so his presence was very important. Vanshaj has also played some very good innings. But the boys were very confident that our bench strength is strong. We believed there wouldn’t be any problem. We focused on doing whatever we could in the present, backing our best possible side and trying to win,” he said.
--IANS
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