The last seven months have tested B. Indrajith’s resolve. He led the Tamil Nadu Ranji team in 2018-19 and then ran into a roadblock in the form of a shoulder injury.
Now, after a miscommunication between the physio and the doctor had been cleared — Indrajith was initially left out of the squad for the Ranji games against Mumbai and Railways that was announced on Wednesday — the fleet-footed middle-order batsman has been drafted into the Tamil Nadu side for both the games.
The match against Mumbai, the side arrived here on Thursday, begins on January 11.
Technique and composure
Indrajith brings with him technique, solidity and composure at No. 4. Despite the pressures of captaincy, he was the highest scorer for the State in the Ranji Trophy last year with 641 runs at 58.27; this included two hundreds and four fifties. He also notched up a hundred in the Duleep Trophy.
Talking to The Hindu , Indrajith said, “The last competitive cricket I played was the TNCA first division league final. After that I travelled to England to have my shoulder assessed. I underwent surgery there in June for a labrum tear on my right shoulder.”
The period that followed was demanding. “Missing all the cricket during this phase was hard. I had to keep myself focussed.”
Before he was selected for the Ranji Trophy this season, Indrajith played a couple of practice matches to assess his fitness. “I was happy with my shoulder,” he said.
Brilliant catcher
Apart from being one of the best young players of spin in the country, Indrajith is a brilliant catcher close to the wicket.
State selection panel chief M. Senthilnathan said, “Indrajith definitely brings quality to the side. If you look at his career, he has often delivered for the team in crunch situations. Once we got the fitness report, he was an automatic choice.”
Indrajith realised Tamil Nadu’s path this season, after a rocky start, was tough. He said, “Rather than think about qualification, I think we should focus on the kind of cricket we play. The process is more important. The results with come.”
He went on, “We have to first concentrate on the Mumbai game. We have to take it match by match.”
After spending time in the shadows, Indrajith is back in business.
