BENGALURU: Rohan Kadam played an integral role in Karnataka's Mushtaq Ali win last season, scoring 536 runs. But, he cannot afford to bask on the glory of that achievement if he wants to become a regular member of the state team. The opener has already set higher goals this season, and most important feature for Karnataka in other formats, which will not be easy.
In order to make his case for selection, the 24-year-old has to make every opportunity count, including the ongoing state league cricket. He has to score some big guns to impress the selectors for senior team's inclusion. However, Kadam did not impress in the first six matches of Division I for Jawans Cricket Club but he went back to his aggressive style and that worked. The left-hander scored a ton against Cambridge Cricket Club and a wonderful double hundred against Sir Syed Cricketers in the seventh and eighth game respectively.
Scoring runs in the ongoing tournament is one of the first step as it may help him in getting picked for the Dr (Capt.) K. Thimmappiah memorial tournament, for which Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) invites some Ranji teams as well. KSCA will have around four teams.
"The ongoing division cricket league in the state is very very important. If I score good runs and that too on a consistent basis, it can help me get into one of the KSCA teams for the K. Thimmappiah memorial tournament. And another good outing in the Thimmapiah could help one get into the state probables. The selectors will definitely look into the performances of players in the Thimmappiah and the league," Kadam told this newspaper.
But, there is no guarantee that Kadam will be picked in the state team for the Ranji squad even with an impressive runs in the pre-season. Karnataka have a strong batting department. The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Ravikumar Samarth, Manish Pandey and Karun Nair are the big guns. Dega Nischal and KV Siddharth impressed last season in the Ranji Trophy so their inclusion is guaranteed.
Kadam, however, should not lose heart and just do what is within his control - score runs. Injuries, players unavailability due to India and India A commitments might open doors for fringe players. Nischal and Siddharth are perfect examples, who grabbed their opportunity last season when the big players were absent.
"The competition in the batting department is tough. There is no alternative for players like us. We have to score runs and see that we are able to impress the selectors. My work is to score runs and should be done consistently. I should not think too much about the selection, but score runs and hopefully things will fall in place," added Kadam.