Hyderabad’s win in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament is a strong start to the domestic season and a valuable learning experience for the players, head coach D. Ravi Teja said after his side beat TNCA President’s XI in the final at the CSK-HPC ground in Chennai.
Ravi Teja, returning as Hyderabad’s coach this season, said the tournament gave him a good look at the squad ahead of the season.
“We did miss a few players who were away for the Duleep Trophy, but the boys showed character and hunger. The way the middle order and the spinners responded was very encouraging,” he told Sportstar.
Hyderabad defeated the host by virtue of a 23-run first-innings lead after the match ended in a draw on the fourth and final day. TNCA, however, gave Hyderabad a scare after reducing it to 70 for five, before Varun Goud and Rahul Radesh stitched an unbeaten 85-run stand off 242 balls to force the handshake.
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“We knew the opposition would come hard at us, and the boys were prepared. Their temperament was great, especially on a wicket that wasn’t easy — it was spinning. Varun, as he’s shown throughout this tournament, knows how to play spin very well,” Ravi Teja said.
For Ravi Teja, Goud — who was adjudged Player of the Tournament for his 438 runs and six wickets — is the find of the season. “I feel he is very underrated. He should have been playing for a while now. If he continues in the same way, he has a bright future.”
Tamil Nadu coach M. Senthilnathan, meanwhile, said the tournament has given his side reliable backups across departments. “Now we don’t have to worry if a bowler misses out due to a tour or injury; we have strong backups. The depth has been covered well,” he said.
He also praised his team’s collective effort through the campaign. “Usually, in a tournament you see two or three standout performers, but for us it wasn’t like that. Every game we had different centurions, not just one player scoring multiple hundreds. That’s a big positive heading into the Ranji Trophy,” he added.
Published on Sep 09, 2025
