CHENNAI: India U-19 World Cup, Vijay Hazare Trophy (2015-16), Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2014-15). Smit Patel’s CV boasts of all these. From being a winner since his junior days, he now plays for the team with the least number of wins among elite teams playing in the domestic circuit: Tripura. The decision to move away from Gujarat in 2016 was not tough, according to the wicketkeeper- batsman. He was not playing as much as he would have liked because of the presence of India international Parthiv Patel. “In my debut season, I got games.
Then it kept decreasing. My ultimate aim is to play for the country. If I don’t get game time, then how will I catch the selectors’ eye?,” the 27-year-old told Express after Tripura’s nine-run loss to Bengal in their Vijay Hazare Elite Group C match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. Smit scored an unbeaten 135 off 153 balls. “Tripura approached me. They were an improving side and in need of an experienced batsman to mentor them. So I said yes. The team has improved a lot, while my batting has also come up by leaps and bounds.” For an outstation player, leaving the comforts of home and moving to a completely new environment is not easy. But Smit’s conviction in his own abilities and his desire to keep improving has made it a bit easier.
“I especially miss the food back home. Infrastructure-wise, Tripura are lacking. But the players are improving all the time. It was evident in today’s display as well. Just that in clutch situations we need to come up trumps.” It is demotivating for a performing player to see his side lose most of the times. But Smit’s brave decision has paid dividends on a personal front. Five out of his seven tons have come since he shifted base, and he has been their overall top-scorer every season since joining. Those displays with the bat even saw him make the Duleep Trophy cut. “The selectors must have seen me doing well, even in losing causes. I’m delighted with my progress.
The next step is an IPL contract. Hopefully, this year.” At one stage, chasing Bengal’s 273, the Northeast team were 144/2, with Smit accompanied in the middle by fellow outstation player Bravish Shetty. Both tried to up the ante with Mumbaikar Bravish going for his shots. But the slowness of the pitch and some tight bowling from Bengal in the middle-overs saw them fall agonisingly short. “Our local players need to support our outstation players more. They have been mentoring the guys, but players need to learn and learn fast. In the middleovers, neither could we get the big shots going nor could we convert the ones into twos,” coach Rajib Dutta said. ayantan@newindianexpress.com