MUMBAI, March 4 -- Keeping feet on the ground can also be a team's main strength in helping them become champions. Ask Ranji Trophy winners Vidarbha.

"We don't have big names, we are a very humble team. We are very simple team in our thought process, not very flamboyant; players who want to win the domestic tournaments. I have seen a lot of players in the country now who just want to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and they are happy with that," said Faiz Fazal, a stalwart of Vidarbha cricket who led the side for many seasons before retirement last season.

This desire to be taken seriously in domestic cricket has helped Vidarbha become a force.

Since their first Ranji title in 2017-18 under Faiz, it's been a stunning transformati...