T20 Mumbai

Left-arm spinner Dhrumil Matkar hailed the guidance of coach Amit Dani as the reason for not only his success in T20 Mumbai but of SoBo Supersonics’ consistency in the league as well.

Over the two seasons, the SoBo SuperSonics have managed to make it to the playoffs in both editions, emerging as group leaders in the inaugural campaign and reaching the final in second.

And the reason for the strong results, perhaps, was one man.

“SoBo Supersonics hasn’t been a star-studded side except for in the first season, when we had Abhishek Nayar,” Dhrumil Matkar explained during an Instagram Live session hosted by the Cricfit website.

“But when we met before the tournament started, we were told that we have to perform as per our ability and that the result doesn't matter.

“‘You have to perform to your best.’ - These were the words that Amit Dani and the management told us, and that's what we've been doing for the past two seasons. That's the secret.”

Amit Dani, a former first-class cricketer for Goa and Mumbai, has been coach of the SoBo SuperSonics in each of the two seasons.

Ever since his days at MIG during his childhood days, Dhrumil Matkar has known Amit Dani, who used to play cricket with the spinner’s father.

“I was eight-years-old when my father took me to Khar Gymkhana. I played at the MIG academy for ten years. So I knew Amit sir very well,” he pointed out.

Fighting spirit

It’s this familiarity that helped him break into the side during the inaugural season as well after the auction.

“I knew that I would be comfortable over there because franchise cricket is a little bit tricky sometimes. Because you go to different teams, there are different players, the management is different, so you need a little stability there.”

That stable force for Dhrumil Matkar was his coach.

“When we played Under-23, Amit Dani was the assistant coach for us and that year we won. That year both Jay Bista and I were in the team. We already shared a great bond with him,” he explained.

The left-arm orthodox shone under the tutelage of Amit Dani at SoBo Supersonics, particularly in the second season where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

“He has a fighting spirit, doesn't give up easily,” he said of his coach. “He always tries to motivate us, no matter the situation. He is always like, just don't give up, you have to fight till the last ball.

“That's how a coach needs to be and he knows how to manage each and every player in the team. I think that's a great ability he has,” he added.