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Bengal wicket-keeper batter Shakir Habib Gandhi has been quietly performing in club cricket for the last few years, and despite being in and out of the Bengal squad, he feels his time will come eventually. To prove he is on the right track, the left-handed batter slammed an unbeaten 168 off 170 balls for Bhowanipur Club against Barisha Sporting Club in the C.A.B. First Division Championship Quarter-final match.
Habib Gandhi's remarkable innings helped Bhowanipur chase down Barisha Sporting's mammoth 430-run target at at Videocon Ground in Kolkata. After his stunning inning, the 25-year-old batter shared his thoughts with Sportz Point in an exclusive interview.
"The team has a trophy-oriented mindset"
Gandhi has already scored three double tons this season for Bhowanipur Club. His form has not only helped the club qualify for the knockouts but has also helped them qualify for the semis. But, as per the batter, the team's mindset of being hungry for a trophy has helped him keep going for big runs throughout the season.
"Bhowanipur is one of the most successful clubs in Kolkata, and I feel the team has a trophy-oriented mindset, which keeps every player on their toes. You have to keep improving yourself whenever you play in this kind of team," Habib Gandhi told Sportz Point.
But doing it in the league stage and doing it in the knockouts is something different. According to Habib, he never puts himself under pressure thinking about knockout games. He just wants to keep the process simple and play as per the demand of the team.
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"The plan was to play till the end"
In the quarter-final, Bhowanipur were under huge pressure after the first inning. Although the pitch seemed to be batting-friendly, chasing 430 was never easy. Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran got out after a good 51 off 71, but Jayojit Basu's 81 from 109 balls kept them in the game.
Post that it was all about Habib's inning that helped Bhowanipur get over the line. The young wicket-keeper batter had the calculations in mind, and this helped him not to hurry in a big chase like this.
"I knew we needed about 4 runs per over. So, it was all about playing the whole 90 overs. I kept telling myself that if I stayed till the end, and took the game deep, we would go over the line," Habib expressed.
But what was the initial plan of the Bhowanipur club? "This is a champion team. We have some great talents and experienced players in the batting lineup. Inclusion of Abhimanyu (Easwaran) enhanced that to another level. So, the plan from the beginning was to bat the whole 90 overs," he answered.
"Very happy that I was able to do what the team had planned. Nothing feels greater than this when you successfully execute the plans set by the team," Habib added.
"My time will come if I continue to improve"
However, despite doing well in the club cricket, Habib has not got enough chances in the Bengal squad in the last few seasons. Since making his T20 debut for Bengal in 2023, he has only played in 12 T20, 5 List-A and 1 First-class games.
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Habib knows he has not been at his best while playing for Bengal and can do lots of great things for the state team.
"My job is to keep doing well in whatever chances I am getting. I want to keep improving and keep winning games for the team. It has never been an individual thing for me. I want to help teams win trophy. And, this pushes me to score big and finish games," Habib shared.
"I feel my time will come if I continue to improve and help the teams win," he added.
Habib Gandhi now has his eyes set on the big semi-final against Kalighat club and wants to keep Bhowanipur Club in the quest to defend their title. The Bhowanipur vs Kalighat semi-final will start from 24th April and continue till 26th April.