MYSURU: Manvanth Kumar knows Mysuru like the back of his hand. Having spent his formative years in the city, the all-rounder is well-versed in the city's laid-back rhythms. He's also familiar with the vast expanse of the University of Mysore campus, opposite Kukkarahalli Lake.
He reacquainted himself with these surroundings on Monday thanks to an assured performance for Karnataka against Tripura in the third round of the Ranji Trophy encounter. The hosts, still searching for their first win of the 2026-27 campaign, had asked Tripura to bat first on a surface that had been under covers over the last few days because of some rain.
However, on Monday morning, cloudy skies had given way to abundant sunshine. Even though the hosts had packed their side with as many as three spinners — V Vyshak was the only frontline pacer in the XI — it was Kumar’s medium pace that gave them a foothold in the game.
Even if some of the other bowlers erred in line and length, the 22-year-old stuck to the basics and earned his rewards across all three of his spells. That all three of his dismissals were similar — nicked off to the keeper KL Shrijith — was an apt reflection of the lines he stuck to on a surface with not a lot in it in terms of movement. In a season where Karnataka have been struggling for returns from some of their frontline bowlers, Kumar’s emergence could stand them in good stead. As an all-rounder — he struck a century in the previous game against Saurashtra — he also brings some balance to the set-up.
The son of a retired BMTC bus driver, Kumar’s trajectory jumped after he was picked up by Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) a few years ago for`30 lakh (in fact, he became the first player from the city to be picked up in the auction ever). The scouts had first noticed him thanks to his exploits with Hubli Tigers in the 2023 edition of the Maharaja Trophy (leading wicket-taker with 22). Even though he’s yet to make his IPL debut, he has continued to impress in other white-ball cricket. Earlier this year, in the last edition of the Maharaja Trophy, he picked up 15 wickets, again for Hubli Tigers.
What works for him? He’s a busy cricketer and can hurry batters with his pace, but he also marries it with discipline. Even as the more experienced Vyshak took his time to get the radar right, Kumar was on the money. It’s why he was able to return figures of 3/23 in 13 overs. “He has great potential,” coach R Vinay Kumar said after the day’s play. “(We will see those kinds of players) very rarely: fast-bowling all-rounders, especially in India we have very few. With the height he has, a left-handed batter, he can hit the ball plus he can bowl 130+. He’s a great asset for us, Karnataka and, going forward, if he can keep performing, we may see him in India colours.” For somebody featuring in just his third first-class match, it may be hard to imagine him playing for the country so soon. But his ceiling could really be that high.
His opening act was complemented by Shikhar Shetty’s 5/54 as the hosts were able to run through Tripura’s lower order to bowl them out for 194. At stumps, Karnataka were 10/1.
Brief scores: Tripura 194 in 82 ovs (Bikramkumar 51, Murasingh 25, Bikram 33, Manvanth 3/23, Shikhar 5/54) vs Karnataka 10/1 in six ovs
