"We all know how to handle pressure" - Parth Bhut after Saurashtra's incredible 2022/23 season
Parth Bhut was part of the victorious Saurashtra team who won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022 as well as the Ranji Trophy 2022/23. These achievements proved that Saurashtra have the talent to not just compete but also dominate across formats in domestic cricket.
Saurashtra have been threatening to dominate domestic cricket for a long time, but their Ranji Trophy win in the 2019/20 season has probably opened the floodgates for a period where one may see them compete across all domestic competitions.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Parth Bhut explained how winning two Ranji Trophy titles and also their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy title last year has helped Saurashtra become more confident and calm in crunch situations. He said:
"Winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time was indeed a memory that will remain with all of us for a lifetime. We even won the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year and that gave us a lot of confidence.
"The dressing room has always been relaxed, especially after we did well in white-ball tournaments because we all know how to handle pressure and just focus on our respective skill-sets."
Bhut also opened up on a nice blend of youth and experience that Saurashtra have in their squad. On this, he said:
"We have had a great mix of youth and experience and that's one of the major reasons why we have been able to win the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as the Ranji Trophy this season."
Parth Bhut on Saurashtra's bench strength
Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat has been a vital cog in their wheel across formats for a number of years now. But there was a time this season when Unadkat wasn't available for Saurashtra as he had been picked in the Indian squad for the Bangladesh Tests.
However, Parth Bhut explained how others saw this as an opportunity and stepped up for the team. He stated:
"Even when Jaydev Bhai was not there, we beat Mumbai in Mumbai. We have immense self-confidence and there's enough quality in our bench strength. The team combination is also set in such a way that each player knows his role very well."
With two domestic titles in the 2022/23 season, it looks like Saurashtra might well start as favorites for the domestic tournaments in the next couple of seasons at least.