“Yes, we will not have them (the trio), but that is part of the game. If you look at Mumbai, they have had many players representing the country, and thus most could not play in the Ranji Trophy. Still, Mumbai performed with the players available and was a strong side that ended up winning the Ranji titles. So we must take a cue from Mumbai, perform, and stop complaining,” Sai Kishore remarked.

Although Assam may not be the strongest side in this season’s Ranji Trophy, no team can be taken for granted in First-Class cricket. Assam boasts quality batters such as Rishav Das, Sibsankar Roy, and Sumit Ghadigaonkar, with Ghadigaonkar recently scoring a significant hundred against a robust Delhi attack. Batting is their strength, while their bowling remains an area for improvement.

“We are aware that one should not take any team lightly at this level (First-Class). We have played them before, and we will assess what team they are fielding on Wednesday and plan accordingly,” Sai Kishore said. During their previous match against Saurashtra in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu’s medium pacers excelled, while spinners played a crucial role in later games.

“We will have a look at the wicket before the game, assess the conditions, and pick our attack accordingly. We have players who can adapt and bowl on any surface. Conditions at home and here (in Assam) are different, so we will definitely select an attack capable of taking 20 wickets. I believe in a positive style of play,” Sai Kishore concluded.