Vidarbha warmed the heart of every person who loves the story of an underdog as they defeated Delhi in the finals of the Ranji Trophy this year. Their triumph impressed many former cricketers and one such player is former India opener, Chetan Chauhan.

"It's great to see teams like Vidarbha coming up. When a team like Vidarbha give such a wonderful performance, it gives motivation to other small teams that they can also achieve big things if they keep on working hard. With Ranji Trophy win, players' performance gets noticed and when one or two among them play at the higher level, it motivates others," Chauhan told TOI.

Chauhan also had some words of wisdom to the Vidarbha players, saying “Now that they have won the trophy, they should keep working hard. You can reach at the top but it requires a lot of hard work to stay there.”

"I don't agree when people say players can't become a good administrator. Maybe every player may not have those qualities but it's always good if a player can contribute as an administrator. They understand the game; know the problems they have already faced during their career and that is always an advantage," he stressed when asked about his success as both a cricketer and administrator.

"Gone are the days when players were not so educated. Earlier, most of the players would come from small places where they didn't have proper education. Now, most of the players have good educational background. The game has become professional. They travel a lot, meet different people during their playing careers, so they have fair idea about how to go about it," he explained.

"In fact, every state association should have two players in their management committee. Besides, there should be a players' association which can voice their opinions," he said stressing that former player should try becoming administrators.

He gave the example of former India fast bowler Prashant Vaidya.

"I have heard Prashant (Vaidya) is a successful businessman. When he is running his business successfully, I am sure he must be adeptly handling the cricketing issues. When a player represents the country, he is aware about the process. He is aware about his own journey as a player so he can help it out to others to achieve their dreams. He knows what facilities players require, what huddles they face. It's great to learn that Vidarbha are doing well for the last few years and he is giving back something to the game," the veteran said.