CHENNAI: It was a breezy Saturday night at the India Cements Limited Ground in Tirunelveli. While the fans were buzzing to popular Anirudh Ravichander music played at the ground, the mood in the Nellai Royal Kings camp could not have been the same. At least that was what one would think looking at the scoreboard. They were 84/4, chasing in 150 against Salem Spartans in the second game of the double-header day.
Although Baba Indrajith was still in the middle, Salem had just dismissed Sanjay Yadav, Nellai’s star from their opening game — where they won in the super over against Chepauk Super Gillies — and this was their chance to break the game wide open. But what they didn’t expect was an onslaught from 19-year-old G Ajitesh, Sanjay’s partner-in-crime from the previous game. The teenager smacked G Kishoor for three sixes in a single over — twice over midwicket and once over extra cover. And he did so with disdain.
As he bludgeoned a short delivery of Kishoor from outside off-stump into the midwicket stands, Ajitesh was searching for a familiar face in the crowd. A face that he has often turned to — ever since he started hitting bowlers over the fence for fun years ago — just to calm himself down. His father M Gnanaguruswamy. Although he couldn't find his father, Ajitesh made a mockery of the chase with a 25-ball 48 as Nellai won with 14 balls to spare.
It was not a flash in the pan, as the tournament progressed, Ajitesh would build a reputation of a power-hitting finisher, earning accolades from every one who were watching. Nellai finished third in the tournament, but the 19-year-old would top the list for highest strike rate — 129 runs at 243.39.
Making of a star
While the cricketing fraternity was in awe of his ability to hit big sixes at such a young age (Ajitesh hit 14 of those in the TNPL) people who have seen him grow up aren’t. Born in a Bengaluru family with a cricket-crazy dad, he took to cricket at a very young age. “He used to sleep with his bat and ball at three or four,” says Gnanaguruswamy, who’s from Tamil Nadu. “Though I used to play with him and train him for a few years, at some point, I just had to be a dad and a friend. So, we put him in the Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) when he was seven,” he adds.
And that is where Ajitesh honed his skills, picked up the gloves and became a wicketkeeper-batter. And with proper training, he only got better. “He used to do multiple sessions even when he was ten years old,” says Irfan Sait from KIOC. “He worked his way up. By virtue of spending a lot of time in the nets, he improved his batting skills rapidly."
Irfan recalls a match for KIOC where the entire team was struggling Ajitesh smashed an unbeaten 165. When asked about the ability to hit sixes and the brand of cricket Ajitesh embraced, several coaches across Bengaluru had the same thing to say. "He has always batted like this."
And it doesn’t come without proof. In the 2016-17 BTR Shield for U-14 I division, Ajitesh smashed 414 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 190.78 for Delhi Public School, finishing as the second highest run-getter in the tournament. A Karnataka U-14 debut followed in that same season, and an U-16 debut in the year after. But in the years following, the opportunities shrunk and even if he was selected in the squad, Ajitesh wasn’t getting enough game-time.
“He wasn’t able to handle that low. All he wanted to do was play and he wasn’t able to. At one point, I encouraged him to go and play matches wherever he got an opportunity. He used to travel and play tournaments in Coimbatore, Salem, etc. With Joy sir's (Jaydeep Saha) guidance, he started training at City Institute of Cricket (CIOC),” said his father.
"That's when, Sunil Sam sir identified him. He took Ajitesh under his wings and played a vital role him getting to play all those matches in Tamil Nadu and then eventually, moving to Coimbatore. We got an opportunity in Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore, he grabbed it. Guru sir (AG Guruswamy, Nellai team coach) helped him and us a lot through the transition."
Honing his skills
Thanks to Ajitesh’s excellent academic performances, getting into the college wasn’t an issue. Under the wings of Guruswamy, he worked on upgrading his skills. He started performing well for the college, and one thing led to another, Ajitesh found himself in the TNPL draft. And to focus on his cricket, the entire family moved back to Coimbatore from Bengaluru.
“My wife and I were very clear on doing everything for Ajitesh’s cricket. Same is the case even with his younger brother, who has also started playing cricket,” he says. The first thing his father heard during the trials from the Nellai Royal Kings camp after watching him bat was this time they (Nellai) are winning the title. Although Nellai didn’t win the trophy, Ajitesh surely has made a mark.
After wandering for opportunities over the last couple of years, playing in every match he could, it seems like he has found his home in Tamil Nadu cricket. It’s been a liberating experience for him and he has no intention of looking back.
“It (TNPL) was a really great experience for a newcomer, couldn't have asked for anything better. Now, my aim is to play for Tamil Nadu. I have signed up for MRF and will be playing for Globe Trotters Sports Club in the upcoming season of Chennai first division league,” Ajitesh said.