Sai Kishore eyes a maiden India cap Premium
The Hindu
Sai Kishore eyes a maiden India cap. Over the last few years, R. Sai Kishore has made rapid progress in domestic cricket, especially in the shorter formats. He has already been a part of a limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka in 2021, was back-up for the home series against West Indies in 2022 and is also a standby for the Asian Games next month. The 26-year-old was also appointed as captain of the Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy side last year for the final two matches though he led in only one game and missed the other due to illness. With impressive performances in the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy tournaments for South Zone this year, the lanky tweaker is inching close to earning his maiden India cap. With the buzz increasing with every tournament he plays, Sai Kishore refuses to buy too much into the hype. Sportspersons often use cliches like ‘being in the present or taking it one game at a time’, but for the TN spinner, the reasons are more in the firm belief he is already ready. “As an Indian, when it comes to international cricket, our odds are 15 among a billion people. The way I see it is, ‘Am I equipped for international cricket? If I am taken in there, can I survive?’ If the honest answer to that question is yes, that is enough.
Over the last few years, R. Sai Kishore has made rapid progress in domestic cricket, especially in the shorter formats. He has already been a part of a limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka in 2021, was back-up for the home series against West Indies in 2022 and is also a standby for the Asian Games next month.
The 26-year-old was also appointed as captain of the Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy side last year for the final two matches though he led in only one game and missed the other due to illness. With impressive performances in the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy tournaments for South Zone this year, the lanky tweaker is inching close to earning his maiden India cap.
With the buzz increasing with every tournament he plays, Sai Kishore refuses to buy too much into the hype. Sportspersons often use cliches like ‘being in the present or taking it one game at a time’, but for the TN spinner, the reasons are more in the firm belief he is already ready.
“As an Indian, when it comes to international cricket, our odds are 15 among a billion people. The way I see it is, ‘Am I equipped for international cricket? If I am taken in there, can I survive?’ If the honest answer to that question is yes, that is enough.
“Two years before making my IPL debut, I knew I was ready. I am not chasing it. I am happy where I am and grateful for it, and being part of these tournaments are important markers,” he said in a chat with The Hindu during the Deodhar Trophy, where he finished as the joint third-highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps.
Even though he has constantly improved in all aspects of the game, the 26-year-old also has the unenviable task of playing in the era of Ravindra Jadeja and now Axar Patel. It is similar to what the wicketkeepers in the country, like Wriddhiman Saha or Dinesh Karthik, faced when they had to compete for a spot with M.S. Dhoni.
When asked how tough it is knowing it won’t be easy to get past the incumbents, Sai Kishore said, “Once you feel ready, you don’t have to bother about anything else or what others are doing. I have a belief I will play for India. If it is meant to happen, it will. But it won’t change me as a person.