The TNPL win has left Tiruppur Tamizhans basking in glory. While all the youngsters contributed equally to the feat, one name stands out — Tushar Raheja. With 488 runs, he scored the highest in the tournament, and played a crucial role in secure the winner title.
He aims to carry forward this momentum into the Buchi Babu tournament, an all-India red-ball tournament organised by the TNCA. “I’m pleased with my ability to contribute to Tiruppur’s title triumph. I took it one match at a time,” said Tushar.
His words exude joy, “This year, I was happy to be first [run getter in the TNPL]. A lot of effort went into my game this season. Last year, when I came second, I missed out on the orange cap. So I put in a lot of work in my power hitting and technique as well. I am happy that results have come out of it,’’ he added. The youngster believes that this performance will help him perform a lot more confidently for Tamil Nadu in white-ball cricket and propel him to have a crack at red-ball cricket for Tamil Nadu.
Tushar and Amit Sathvik consistently delivered at the top for Tiruppur. “I had the freedom to express myself. We got good starts as we had a good understanding of our roles clearly defined. Whatever the level is, I ensure I talk with my partner on going about our task. This clarity helps us build partnerships, which is important to post good totals,” he shared.
Meanwhile, there’s something special about this brilliant left-hand batter, especially his batswing. It is effective and enables him to clear the ropes easily. “I have not worked specifically to improve the batswing; I think it comes naturally and helps me hit the ball as far as possible. I have worked on my bat speed; I do a lot of drills. That helps in my white ball cricket as well as red ball cricket,” explained Tushar.
While in control of the bat, he also never gets intimidated by the bowler. “My approach has always been to play to the merit of the ball and not get intimidated by the bowler. Particularly in T20, you have no time to settle down; you have to start scoring from ball one. So my approach to play the ball and not the bowler has worked beautifully,” he noted.
So will this performance help him perform better for Tamil Nadu in white-ball cricket in the coming season? “It obviously gives a lot of confidence. But again, a new season is a different ball game. I have to adapt to the conditions wherever the game is played,” he said. “Personally, since last year, I have been working on my striking rate against spinners, which has gotten better this year.”
Currently, his focus is on red- ball cricket, preparing for the Buchi Babu tournament. “We have been playing first-division league matches. So, that will help us to get into the groove for the red-ball. There are technical adjustments that you have to make, and the conditions are different. You cannot play the same way you play in white-ball cricket. I am developing patience and doing meditation and breathing exercises. I’m also working on short selection, which is different from white-ball,” he said, adding he plays to the merit of the ball, and has been working with TV Ramkumar to improve his batting.
After gaining such laurels and working with determination, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Tushar opens with N Jagadeesan for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.