Ranji Trophy | Akash excels for Baroda against the odds

Meet Akash Singh, the 22-year-old left-arm pacer representing Baroda in domestic cricket, impressing with both red and white ball skills.

He hails from Bikaner, trains mostly in Jaipur, is associated with Chennai Super Kings despite having been a part of two other IPL franchises so far and is now representing Baroda – his third team in domestic cricket – since the last season. And he is just 22 years old. Welcome to the world of Akash Singh.

If living a life of a sort of a vagabond and having turned professional very early on in his career, first representing Nagaland before following Kiran More’s advice and signing with Baroda as a guest player since the last season, isn’t unusual for a young domestic cricketer, there is more.

At such a young age, the left-arm pacer, Akash is in danger of being stamped as a white-ball specialist.

But as much as a few IPL talent scouts present at the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium would have been impressed with his Saturday outing, Akash made everyone in Indian cricket take notice with his red-ball skills. Bowling with the old ball, on a turning track, Akash’s three for 19 ensured Baroda took a firm grip on the Ranji Trophy tie against Mumbai.

“It’s important for a player at my stage of career to not be billed as a white-ball specialist. So I am happy with my performance in that regard,” Akash told The Hindu after the second day’s play.

“More importantly, I am elated with the fact that I could justify the faith that the team has shown in me. When you play as a professional, you are expected to deliver every time the team asks something of you. And to be able to bowl with the old ball on a pitch that was turning, and to execute my plans against a big team and pick those wickets is pleasing.”

If Baroda converts the first-innings lead into an outright win, Akash will indeed feel like having found a home away from home for himself!