KOCHI: As another edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, most cricketers from Kerala will be left watching the show from the sidelines despite the state finishing runners-up in the Ranji Trophy.
Only four players from the state figure in this year’s IPL. Malayali icon Sanju Samson, who leads Rajasthan Royals, was not part of the Kerala team in the Ranji knockouts.
While left-handed batter and Kerala captain Sachin Baby is with Sunrisers Hyderabad, another batter from the Ranji squad Vishnu Vinod, who formerly played for Mumbai Indians, has been picked by Punjab Kings. An eye-catching selection this time is that of Vignesh Puthur, a 23-year-old from Perinthalmanna, who was acquired by Mumbai Indians for Rs 30 lakh in a surprise move.
A left-arm wrist spinner who played for Alleppey Ripples in the Kerala Cricket League, Vignesh was not part of the Ranji squad.
The IPL auctions were held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last November. And out of 16 Kerala players in the fray, only three were selected.
“Selecting a player is the franchisee’s decision. The four representations we have is not a small thing. The auctions happened six months ago, before we made the giant strides in the Ranji Trophy,” Kerala Cricket Association president Jayesh George said. Mohammed Azharuddeen, one of the stars of Kerala’s Ranji campaign, said the real selection does not happen in the auctions but in the knockout stages of major tournaments.
“We get eliminated at the pre-quarter or quarterfinal stages of major tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (national Twenty20 championship). When we put in consistent performances and reach the semifinals or win championships, more people notice the players,” Azhar said.
The franchises and scouts evaluate players at that stage and become interested in acquiring them.
“They look at how we manage pressure and expectation, which is a major factor in IPL. I think we should become more consistent and present ourselves in more crucial matches to resolve this issue we are facing,” the wicketkeeper-batter said.
Critically, Kerala’s run to the final of the Ranji Trophy happened after the IPL auctions.
“This time, we had a very early auction. Our sixth Ranji match happened only after that, followed by our major performances. That could have been a reason for most of our players not getting chosen. But there’s always a chance of a spot opening up in case of player replacements, which might come later,” Azhar pointed out.
Maybe next year, more Kerala players will find favour with IPL teams based on our Ranji performances this year, Jayesh added on an optimistic note.