Vinayak Samant

Vinayak Samant is a typically gritty, khadoos cricketer Mumbai is known to produce. At the start of his first-class career, he had to compete with Samir Dighe for the wicketkeeper's place. He left for Assam where he had an acrimonious five-year stay, but he kept on doing what he loved: playing cricket. Upon Dighe's retirement, he made a move back to Mumbai, where closing in on 30, he had to wait for another year to get a chance. When he did get that chance, he held on it like his life. Other youngsters came and threatened him, but he was making up for a late start, staying fit and extremely committed (in his younger days he used to skip 10,000 times in one-and-a-half hours). There's a cheeky side to this serious cricketer, which makes him an endearing personality. He is a champion sledger, finds it easy to get under opponents' skin, and there are even stories abound that he can create the sound of an edge while keeping to the spinners to deceive umpires. He is a good mimic to boot, and keeps the Mumbai team upbeat. He got his rewards, becoming part of a Ranji-winning Mumbai team four times. That he played a crucial part with the bat in their 37th and 38th title wins will never be lost. In the 2006-07 final he scored 66 when Mumbai were 0 for 5 in the semi-final. In 2008-09, he agreed to open the innings when Mumbai were struggling for the second opener, and he scored a century in the second innings of the final.