"Paaji (Malhotra) inspires us a lot. Even if someone is running high temperature, he inspires him," Bengal skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla said after their 48-run win over Railways here.
"I am not going to compare him with previous coaches, but Paaji is an inspiration to us. He has played such great cricket too. We have tried to do well and we have succeeded, but long way to go," Shukla said of the 56-year-old, who was part of their famous Ranji Trophy winning team in 1989-90.
"This has given us great confidence. Paaji had told me to just stay there and bat for time. I managed to do that. We are all friends and we are playing well for the same cause," Saha said.
Saha also praised Shukla, who led from the front in Manoj Tiwary's absence both with bat and bowl to contribute immensely to Bengal's road to the semis.
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"He gives us 100 per cent. No one is a captain in our side. Everyone is a captain. We all take decisions together," Saha said in a joint press conference with Shukla and Ashoke Dinda.
"I have said before that I don't want to see Wriddhi and Dinda and Shami in the dressing room. I want to see them playing for India. The more they play for India, the more proud we will feel. Wriddhi will be there for the semis. Happy with that."
Despite getting the Board's best allrounder award, Shukla has been overlooked by the national selectors.
Asked had he stopped thinking about making an India comeback, Shukla was interrupted by Dinda who said: "We all want him to be in India dressing room, so that I can be the captain.