Lucknow: After becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs, Meerut Mavericks will be without the services of leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari, the Purple Cap holder.Zeeshan Ansari leads the wicket-taking charts with 17 wickets in seven innings and has helped Meerut Mavericks win seven straight matches without losing a single game in the UPT20 League campaign. After seven consecutive wins, Ansari left the team to pursue red-ball cricket in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. He is set to feature in the crucial semi-final against East Zone on Aug 30.The Rinku Singh-led Meerut Mavericks have been the team to beat this season. They became the first side to qualify for the playoffs in the fourth edition of the UP T20 League after remaining unbeaten in their first seven matches. With 14 points and a net run rate of 1.605, the Mavericks sit comfortably at the top of the points table.Talking to TOI, Zeeshan Ansari said, “I’m leaving for my red-ball assignment now. The league match was my last white-ball game for the time being, and I will give my best in red-ball cricket, which is where I want to focus.”“Over the last six months, I have been playing and training with the red ball. I only switched to the white ball a few days ago for the UPT20 League, and now I have five days to switch back. My only aim is to give my best in the Duleep Trophy,” Ansari added.Speaking about his variations and what he gained from India A and the IPL, he said, “This year, I feel I’m using a lot more variation in my pace — mixing slower and quicker balls, getting good turn on my googly, and landing my flipper exactly where I want to. I believe the hard work I’ve put in over the past year, whether with India A or while sitting on the bench in the IPL, has taught me a lot, and all of that is helping me now that I’ve got an opportunity.”
