The wait is over.
Wicketkeeper batsman Narayan Jagadeesan of Coimbatore has found his way into the 16-member Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy squad.
For the stylish young cricketer, the opportunity to perform at the big stage has come at the right time.
It was Jagadeesan's remarkable glove work and elegant batting skills in the inaugural edition of the India Cements - Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) that caught the eye of the State selectors.
The 21-year-old, representing Dindigul Dragons, emerged the TNPL 'Player of the Tournament'. He scored 397 runs from eight innings at an average of 56 and with a strike rate of 120.67.
He was obviously thrilled having booked the Ranji berth. “I am really happy. I have been knocking at the nets regularly. Now that the time has come, I am going to go with the same frame of mind [TNPL] and perform to the expectations of my team,” Jagadeesan told The Hindu over phone from Haryana.
“I want to thank my coach [A.G. Gurusamy] and my dad [C.J. Narayan] for their big support. They were my backbone. If not for them, I would not be where I am today,” he said.
Not to forget my mother [Jayashree], she is my big inspiration as well,” he quickly added.
Tamil Nadu opens its campaign against Mumbai at Lahli on October 6. Jagadeesan, who plays for Grand Slam CC in the Chennai first division league and Sri Ramakrishna Mills Sports Club in the Coimbatore first division league, has captained the State side in almost every other age group. He has also made presence felt in the Buchi Babu tournament and has three fine centuries under his belt.
For the commerce graduate from PSG College of Arts and Science, cricket is in his blood. His father had played for the Tata Electric Company in the Mumbai first division league. “He showed a lot of talent at a very early age. The way he was collecting the balls and using the bat impressed me so much that I decided to coach him,” said Mr. Narayan.
And Jagadeesan's cricketing journey began under the watchful eyes of Gurusamy. “His father is a good friend of mine. He came to me in 2004 to coach his son and, from the very first day, I knew he had something special in him,” said Mr. Gurusamy, who had shaped the careers of quite a few Ranji cricketers such as Aushik Srinivas and Sunil Sam.
“He has got the right attitude and is a player who can perform at the big stage. He is a good listener and an honest cricketer as well,” said Mr. Gurusamy.
“He can adapt to any situation, be it T20 or the longer version. I worked a lot on his basics, while his father took care of his keeping drills,” he added.
D. Lakshminarayanaswamy, the President of the Coimbatore District Cricket Association, has also played a vital role in his development. It was his constant support and encouragement that made life easy for this talented star on and off the field.
Jagadeesan initially wanted to be a fast bowler but he was coaxed by both his father and his coach to take to keeping.
The move seems to have paid off now and, one believes, will take him to greater heights in the years to follow.
Published - October 05, 2016 08:22 pm IST
