What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Madhya Pradesh winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title by thrashing 41-time champions Mumbai in the final received tremendous applause from one and all. Everyone likes to see an underdog punching above its weight, especially in sports.
One of the architects of Madhya Pradesh’s stupendous triumph was left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya who grabbed 32 scalps and emerged as the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He worked in a factory as a labourer before he joined the cricket of Sanjay Bhardwaj – who was also the coach of Gautam Gambhir – and rose to become a sterling first-class cricketer.
In an exclusive interview with The New Indian, he talks about myriad facets of his career.
On winning the final against Mumbai: Honestly, we were not nervous about the fact that we would be locking horns with 41-time champions. There were only two players in Mumbai’s squad who had played a Ranji final before. The rest of them weren’t that experienced and perhaps were on tenterhooks. Moreover, we had been playing superlative cricket throughout the tournament and were confident of putting up a good show.
On coach Chandrakant Pandit: The fact that he has now won Ranji Trophy 6 times as a coach is a testament to his capabilities and acumen. The biggest thing he brought about is discipline. He also has a sharp cricketing brain and chalked out various strategies even when we were preparing for the tournament. There were clear-cut roles defined for every player. The way we were practising and going about doing our drills was completely different this time than in the past.
Even before the tournament started, we were confident that this time our team would do exceedingly well as we were so well prepared. He told me to focus on getting the balls in the right areas and ensure the balls finish on stumps. That was a pretty smart tip in hindsight.
On his best performance in the tournament: I think the semi-final against Bengal was more important than even the final because if you lose the semi-final, no one remembers your journey. At least, a team gets recognition even if it loses in the final. That is why it was the most crucial match of my career. Thankfully, I stepped up and snapped up eight wickets in the match. My five-wicket in the second innings was instrumental in us skittling them out for 175.
The wicket of their captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is the one which I will always cherish as he was batting on 78. His dismissal ensured that we would win the match. The ball I bowled to castle him was also a very good one. I also enjoyed getting Manoj Tiwary out as he is a domestic giant.
On his struggling days: I ran away from my home when I was only 15 because I wanted to pursue cricket, come hell or high water. Also, I didn’t want to put the financial burden on my father who is a constable in Kanpur. It’s been more than 9 years and I haven’t met my parents yet.
Before I joined the cricket academy of Sanjay Bhardwaj sir (his coach) in Delhi, I used to work in a factory to earn a livelihood. But once I joined the academy, he took care of my accommodation and was good. After that, I had to only focus on my cricket and that’s exactly what I wanted. Life became much better after that.
On his IPL experience and meeting Sachin Tendulkar: I met Sachin sir during the IPL and got a chance to speak with him. He told me to always respect cricket as we are what we are because of this game. Rohit bhai told me to bowl freely without any inhibitions and he would take care of the rest. He didn’t put any pressure on me. I was a tad anxious before I met the Mumbai team as I thought it was full of huge stars. But all of them, especially Rohit bhai, are very down-to-earth and have no airs whatsoever.
