Mohammed Kaif's scores of 90 and 93 in the Challenger Trophy indicated that he had finally crossed the Rubicon and set his sights on higher laurels. Having excelled himself at the junior level, his impatience at seeking a more appropriate forum to parade his skills can be forgiven. Kaif was voted best batsman of the tournament and, sure enough, he was rewarded with a place in the national squad for the Test series against South Africa.

Kaif was selected to the India B team for the Ahmedabad tourney along with four other team mates on the Under 19 squad. In the first match against the India Seniors, Kaif struck 90 in 106 balls to pilot his side to a potentially match winning total of 274. Never mind that they ultimately lost for no fault of his. Kaif's subsequent effort of 93 in 117 balls against the India A side also came in a losing cause. But it underlined the growing maturity of a lad who seemed to have cast away the callowness of youth.

Kaif is comfortable at both the long and short versions of the game. He is well suited for the demands of the longer version since his game revolves around technique and not power. But he is also a natural at the one day game. Not only is his bowling an asset, he is a keen fielder and a brisk runner between the wickets too as he showed in the match against the India Seniors when he matched his captain Ajay Jadeja stride for stride in their century partnership.

NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, 1999-2000

2nd Match: India v India B at Ahmedabad, 11 Feb 2000
[Scorecard | Report | Over Graph |
Run Rate Comparison]

3rd Match: India 'A' v India 'B' at Ahmedabad, 12 Feb 2000
[Scorecard | Report | Over Graph |
Run Rate Comparison]