CHENNAI: For the better part of the past decade, B Indrajith has been the name that does rounds every time an India A or a Duleep Trophy squad was announced. After all, he had been one of the consistent red-ball batters in the country - and the most consistent one from Tamil Nadu.
Numbers say as much - 4155 runs at 62.01 in 53 games since the 2016-17 season. The chances to move up the ranks were not coming for some reason. Last season, however, something changed.
Indrajith, with 767 runs in 13 innings, played a vital part in Tamil Nadu's Ranji campaign as they reached the semifinal before losing to Mumbai, who went on to win the trophy. By the time the semifinal came along, Indrajith was the talk of the cricketing community. While he did not mind the attention, it also gave him a sense of validation that he must be doing something right.
So, when the Duleep Trophy squads were announced - Indrajith is in Team C - with his name on it, he was not entirely surprised. In fact, he was expecting it and at some level, was already preparing for it.
"Yes, I am excited, but I have been preparing. I was expecting it this time around and I am ready," Indrajith told TNIE.
"More than excitement, I am actually preparing so that I can give myself the best possible chance to perform well," he added.
While he understands the significance of the opportunity and the expectations that are going to be there when he walks out to bat in Anantapur, Indrajith does not want to look ahead. He wants to focus on things he can control and give himself the best chance to prepare for it. He knew he had a very good season last year and decent ones before, so this chance is more or less a reward for years of consistency.
One of the things Indrajith had learnt over the years is that performances get noticed better when they result in the team's success. The past 12 months have been a testament to that. From reaching the semifinals of Vijay Hazare and Ranji to winning the Tamil Nadu Premier League title with Dindigul Dragons, Indrajith has been at the centre of his team's success.
"TNPL is a very important tournament and it is always good to win trophies. This is what you learn even in Ranji. If you perform and reach the semifinal or final and win, the recognition and reward is bigger. If my batting is showing, winning the TNPL is also a reason. So I am happy that we reached the semifinals of Ranji, VHT and won the TNPL. All of these things are good things," he said.
Even as he continues to thrive on the field, one of the changes the 30-year-old has made is taking up journaling.
"It is a new habit," laughs Indrajith. "I usually note a lot of things down on my phone, but I started writing recently. I am not a big book reader but wanted to develop that habit. In the past, I wrote something that made a difference. Diary or journaling is generally not my thing but I was speaking to a friend. We were talking about the importance of writing, it's something new and I have seen a lot of successful people have a pattern and this was one of the habits. I also wanted to try and it has helped. It gives me clarity and so it's been good."
As the focus shifts to red-ball cricket, with Indrajith getting ready to play for TNCA XI in Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy, the TN batter has been training for it since the TNPL got over. With Ranji, too, beginning earlier than usual, Indrajith knows what is at stake and what he needs to do to throw his name in the ring for the Test team.
"It's there. I don't want to say it, but it's there. I have my goals and beliefs, I have written them and kept them. I know what lies ahead, but I keep reiterating myself to take one thing at a time," he says.
The first step is, of course, the Buchi Babu tournament. "I wanted to play Buchi Babu because four-day games are different. You need the time and fitness to adjust. Apart from that, we are playing against good teams in Haryana and Mumbai (in Coimbatore). So, no better preparations leading to the Duleep Trophy," he signed off.
