A Day in Life with The Heartbeat and Backbone of the MI Squad: Their Ground Staff
In a candid conversation, we get an insider’s perspective on what goes behind a typical day of Mumbai Indian’s unsung heroes – their ground staff. They are as integral to the team as any player that graces the field. Their relentless work ethic, passion for maintaining every inch of the pitch, coupled with their deep love and commitment towards cricket, makes them truly invisible warriors responsible for success stories.
Meet The Team
Ravindra Paithankar: Superintendent at Wankhede Stadium
Prakash Keluskar: Assistant Manager – Curator
Vijay Tambe : Senior Groundsman
Santosh Sutar :Groundsman
Each member has been associated with Mumbai Indians for years—some even from its inception—and have watched it grow into this colossal entity.
Brief Session Before Groundbreak
Their mornings begin before the players arrive at Wankhede. “Our responsibility Involve checking the condition of the field, inspecting whether last night’s activities or weather conditions have affected the pitch,” says Vijay Tambe.
Every task performed by these individuals is akin to everyday rituals which they follow almost religiously because they understand their part in enhancing the player’s performance.
- Morning refreshments:“We then polish off some breakfast together before revisiting our tasks for the day,” adds Ravindra Paithankar.
- Last-minute touch-ups:Tambe explains,”From mowing the grass to last-minute touch-ups, there’s myriad of tasks.”
- Pitch preparation:Prakash Keluskar adds, “Preparing a pitch requires careful observation and experience. It’s not something built overnight.”
A Peek into Their Job Specification
“Cricket turf management is demanding but fascinating,” states Santosh Sutar. Indeed, the ground staff manages an array of operations:
- Maintenance/services for practice/performance:Keluskar observes, “Our day revolves around practice sessions and game schedules.” This involves preparation and maintenance work before and after training.
- Cultivating playing surfaces:Paithankar explains, “We maintain the vigor of the grass by regulating water content, soil composition, adjusting cutting heights or rolling pitches.”
- Continual ground innovations: “There are many layers to our job – climatic conditions influencing plants’ health to latest turf research findings,” he chuckles.
Among all, their most significant task is managing the wear and tear of the most critical part of cricket- the pitch.
The Art of Pitch-Making
This 22-yards strip presents distinct characteristics – pace, bounce etc. Various factors like type of soil used has specific capacity to hold moisture affecting its hardness/softness determine this feature; thus altering how ball reacts off it as per weather conditions.myriad “Pitch is a living entity requiring nurturing according to match requirements,” says Paithankar.
- Studying Weather Patterns :Judging temperature/humidity levels throughout year helps them predict pitch behavior in future games.
- Determining Soil Mixture :Ravindra details, “A pitch has specific type of soils. We juggle between three combinations for desired results.”
- Grass length Management :“Length also influences the bounce and speed,” adds Prakash.
The Invisible Champions
Despite their critical role in a team’s fortune, their efforts often go unnoticed or under-appreciated by fans.The magic they instill on playing surface reflects when our players strike those magical boundaries, pick wickets like dream spells. They don’t seek recognition but work tirelessly to enable spectators enjoy cricket at its finest!
In conclusion, we salute these silent heroes who put up an unseen yet impactful fight beyond every match – contributing towards Mumbai Indians’ success since inception and making MI family proud for years unending.
This exclusive peek just goes to show that victories are not only about players excelling on field alone. When it comes to the high-stakes world of cricket, no stone is left unturned ; Not just Players even the minutest blade of grass counts – courtesy the ground staff of Mumbai Indians!
