HYDERABAD: For people who have watched him over the last few years, Ramakrishnan Sridhar’s appointment as India’s fielding coach came as no surprise. For, he has been making all the right moves at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and with Kings XI Punjab.
The former Hyderabad left-arm spinner took to coaching after quitting first-class cricket in 2001. Sridhar, who topped the level-3 coaching examination, had stints with the Hyderabad U-15 and U-19 teams before joining the NCA. His work at NCA was appreciated before he was appointed the fielding coach of the World-Cup winning U-19 side in 2012.
He also went to Dubai with the India U-19 team this year. However, his big breakthrough came when he was roped in along with Sanjay Bangar by eventual runners-up Kings XI Punjab in the last IPL. The Andhra Cricket Association, which has been doing badly in the Ranji Trophy for the last few years, was looking for a young coach and found in the 44-year-old, the right man.
John Manoj, who had enlisted Sridhar as the main coach of St John’s Sport Coaching Foundation, said it was the best thing to have happened to him. “He is passionate about coaching. He is meticulous and has got very good work ethics. He is a modern-day coach. But this year, the IPL and the Andhra assignments have given him a good opening. He is sure to succeed,” he said.
Sridhar is aware of how fielding makes a big difference. “The growing popularity of ODIs and T20s has changed the concept of fielding, which has evolved into an art unto itself,” he had said in one of his interviews.
According to him, a fielding coach should identify a particular fielder for a specific position. “In the initial overs, the backward point is a vital spot. This is where the best fielders are placed.” Hopefully, he will iron out India’s slip-fielding deficiency.