CHENNAI: Ace all-rounder Washington Sundar's presence will be a big boost for Tamil Nadu as they look to begin their Ranji Trophy campaign on a good note when they take on Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.
Led by R Sai Kishore, Tamil Nadu have a good mixture of experience and youth in their ranks. Plus, new chief coach Yo Mahesh is optimistic of a turnaround. He has full faith in his boys. Yo Mahesh, while talking to TNIE, also insisted that he and captain Sai Kishore are on the same page as far as team selection and strategies go.
Yo Mahesh also does not want to dwell on the past and wants to start afresh.
"We have prepared well and are looking to start the season on a positive note. I have told the boys not to think about what happened in the past. I told them to have a sense of self-belief and have a positive approach to their game. I also drove in the point that what happened in the past cannot be changed, but the future is in their hands. So the plan is to approach the season with a fresh mind," said Yo Mahesh.
The team had a camp in Chennai and then some practice games at Chepauk. They also hit the nets at Jaipur.
"The preparations for the Ranji trophy game against Rajasthan are on track. We had a camp, then a few practice games. I ensured all the boys enjoyed what they were doing, be it batting, bowling or fielding. I told them not to put undue pressure on themselves but at the same time, have the courage to face challenges," explained Yo Mahesh.
How does the coach find the balance of the team? "We have a lot of options, now with Washy (Washington Sundar) also coming in for the first game, it adds more to the balance. So we have a number of options in batting and bowling," he said.
Since taking over as the new coach, Yo Mahesh has looked to ensure that his wards can play a positive brand of cricket.
"You see since I took over as the new coach, one particular area that I worked upon is the fast bowlers' length. Something that I had been working on during the camp. Length is very important, you cannot practice that during the games, so at the camp I ensured that the boys hit the deck at the right areas and at the proper length. I also instilled into their minds that we must play a positive brand of cricket. I told them that they must always look for ways to take wickets rather than be content containing the batters."
Along with Washington, Tamil Nadu will be relying on the likes of N Jagadeesan, Baba Indrajith, Pradosh Ranjan Paul and C Andre Siddarth to put runs on the board. The coach is happy with the riches in the batting department. "We have good experience and depth in our batting. Apart from Washy, we have experienced guys like Indrajith and Jags (Jagadeesan). Pradosh is in his seventh season or so and is very experienced. Andre is quite young and an exciting player. Sai Kishore can also bat. So on the batting front no complaints."
Jadadeesan will also have wicket-keeping duties but don't rule out Yo Mahesh to employ more options if needed. "Jagadeesan is our primary wicketkeeper-batter. We do have a few others who can keep wickets and bat also in the squad. If a situation warrants I am not averse to the idea of playing a second wicketkeeper as a batter," he said.
As far as the bowling department is concerned, all-rounder R Sonu Yadav could have a big role to play along with other young faces in the fast-bowling department. But their main weapon will be spin as they boast three quality spinners in Washington, Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram.
"We have Sonu and some young fast bowlers, plus some very experienced spinners who can do the job. So we need to proceed with what we have and as I said earlier play a positive brand of cricket," he said.
As far as the team combinations is concerned, the coach, as is expected, said that it will depend as per the wicket. "We will have a final look (wicket) before the game and decide. If the surface is green and if we win the toss, we will certainly be tempted to play more fast bowlers. So wicket and conditions will decide the team combo, but we will pick the XI with an open mind keeping in mind who can deliver on that surface."
Manav Suthar, who is leading Rajasthan, is a regular in the TNCA league in Chennai and knows quite a lot about the visiting team. "I have told the boys not to worry about anything. Not to overthink about it (Suthar's knowledge). At the end of the day, it (the team's performance) is all based on the conditions and that's how I want my players to react," he said.
Manav will be supported by his deputy, Mahipal Lomror, who's also the team's most experienced batter. However, Rajasthan will be without a couple of big players in the bowling department. Left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary will miss the opening two fixtures due to a knee injury while Khaleel Ahmed, their main man, is currently undergoing rehabilitation following an injury sustained during the last IPL.
Last three seasons
2023-24: Semifinal
2024-25: Quarterfinal
2025-26: Group stage
Schedule
Oct 11: vs Rajasthan, Jaipur
Oct 18: vs Uttarakhand, Chennai
Oct 26: vs Railways, Chennai
Nov 2: vs Chandigarh, Chandigarh
Jan 17: vs Himachal Pradesh, TBD
Jan 24: vs Mumbai, TBD
Feb 1: vs Haryana, Rohtak
Squad: R Sai Kishore (C), C Andre Siddarth (VC), Ajitesh G, Ajith Ram S, Athish S R, Deepesh D, Washington Sundar, Govinth G, Hemchudeshan J, Baba Indrajith, N Jagadeesan, Nidhish S Rajagopal, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Pranav Ragavendra R D, Saravana Kumar P, Sonu Yadav R, Vimal Khumar R.