CHENNAI: Former Tamil Nadu Ranji player Vasanth Saravanan had a fruitful season with Chepauk Super Gillies last year. Just short of turning 39, Saravanan’s enthusiasm for the game has not diminished.
For him, age is not a barrier for playing the sport as long as the passion keeps him going. “Age is just a number. I have been playing cricket without break for more than two decades. As long as my body is supporting and I have the excitement I will play,” said Vasanth Saravanan.
Saravanan who hails from Thiruvallur district has benefited from playing in the Thiruvallur and TNCA league. “I play as much as possible to stay fit. I play first division in the TDCA league and TNCA second division. These two tournaments keep me occupied for most of the year,’’ explained the Assam player.
Saravanan had a great start to his career, being a part of the India U-19 team that had the likes of Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh. From there he made it to first- class cricket, but could not don India colours.
“From U-19, I made smooth transition to play for TN in Ranji. I played reasonably well. But when competition went up, I moved to Assam in order to keep my hopes of playing for the country alive. I played for Goa too. I was part of East Zone and played under Sourav Ganguly. But with the Indian middle-order looking solid, I knew my chances of playing for India was over and I chose to play in the now-defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL),’’ said Saravanan.
At ICL, he played with R Sathish, his Chepauk Super Gillies captain. “ICL gave all of us who didn’t make it to Indian team, a feel of international cricket. It was here where I played under Michael Bevan and learnt the intricacies of shorter format. I also understood the importance of fitness,” he recalled.
With TNPL beginning in a few days, he believes that Super Gillies have a chance to win the crown. He made three fifties last season and was also top scorer for his team in the final match.
“Last year, we missed out a chance to hold the trophy. We have a mixture of experience and youth in our team. We are keen to make a good start and carry the momentum forward. This season, more matches will be played outside Chennai where wickets and conditions will be different. Hence we cannot afford to relax.
“Coach Hemang Badani has infused a lot of positive energy. Our self-belief has gone up and we are confident that we can deliver this season,” said Saravanan.