After record-breaking domestic season, batsman Mayank Agarwal admits that there have been talks with selectors

Mayank Agarwal has shattered batting records in domestic cricket for a season like nobody else before. The 27-year-old Karnataka right-handed opening batsman opens up to G Krishnan about the secrets to his magnificent season

How do you look back at the season, with a record 2,000-plus runs?

To be really honest, I am extremely extremely happy. It's been a very satisfying season, to have that many runs, and also have a hand in helping Karnataka win the Vijay Hazare Trophy. That's an extremely nice feeling.

Obviously this has been your best season. How did you go about scoring century after century?

My coach, R Muralidhar (RX), and I have been working hard for the past 3-4 years. This season, we decided to do situation-based training. He put me through different situations, we practice on different conditions, something that we could come up against during the season. Having been put in those situation, we didn't say 'we have to follow this way or follow that particular method'. After putting me through situations, he said to me 'Why don't you find your own way of tackling the situation and overcoming obstacles. You must find your own way. When we did that, we got a lot of infomation about how I go about things. That helped me create a lot of awareness about myself and about my game. That was something that was extremely nice. When it comes to consistency, it was something that was at the back of my mind, that I have been getting starts but something that I needed to convert and make it big. After having quite a hard start to the season, I knew that every time I got set, I have to make it big and I could not relax. And, I won't relax.

When you were put through the situations, did you rediscover yourself in the process?

Yes because that gave me an insight as to how I was responding to a situation in a particular manner. We could understand the pattern, and if that was not working, he (RX) broke it down and made sure that we built another pattern. If he felt that the pattern was working for me, we continued with that.

Can you explain the situations you were put through?

For example, they watered the astro-turf pitch, That would be really hard. He got to play on mud to tackle spinners and then also play on sticky wicket and all of that. That way, we could try and emulate say, for an opening batsmen, play on astro-turf that cuts more and bounces more. That is how it is going to be on green top. On turner, he put me on mud and how I deal with situation and see and try find ways to work on that.

What does batting mean to you?

Batting is something I really really enjoy doing, that is something I look forward to. Always look forward to a challenge to contributing to the team's success. It is very important that in a team sport, if we can contribute to the team's win, nothing like it.

Have you always wanted to be a top-order batsman?

I tried my hand at a few things at a very young age but I thought I had a decent success with batting, and I just stuck to that.

With the humongous amount of runs this season, you are now in the reckoning for the senior national team. But how disappointed were you at not being picked for the Sri Lanka tri-series?

As players, selection is not in our control. Having a (Vijay Hazare Trophy) final to play, that did a world of good to me. You had a final to look forward to and you don't have the time and energy to sit back and think of something else. 'Let's try and win the final'. You are always looking forward to something. These days, there is a lot of cricket and you always have something to play. You always look forward to play and that is the key

How assuring was chairman of selectors MSK Prasad when he spoke with you?

Communication is important. They have communicated to me. That is between the selectors and the player and we should leave it at that. Yes, there has been a dialogue.

Prior to this season, when did you think you were ready for international cricket?

You can say that you are always ready or you are never ready. I don't think there is a particular time. It is just about whenever you are put in that situation, how you go all out and take things the way they come, try and learn and see what you can do. In a sense, I would say that scoring runs and the confidence is very important to carry forward. As a domestic player, if you are put in international cricket, it is the runs and the confidence from that you take that is important.

Do you think you are now ready for it or is there still some more work to do?

I am definitely up for the challenge. That is something, not only me, but most cricketers, look forward to any challenge.

Some of your statemates like KL Rahul and Manish Pandey have already made it to the Indian team and are now a regular. When you look at them, what goes through your mind?

I am extremely happy because we have played a lot of cricket together. I am extremely happy all of them are doing well, contributing to the senior team's success. Whenever they come back, they are kind enough to share the experiences that they are learning so that we as people get to learn from what they have gone through. They are more than willing and more than happy to share that with us.

Coming from a state that has produced many stalwarts, whom did you want to emulate?

If you are asking about my favourite cricketer, it is Virender Sehwag. As a kid, I have always been fascinated with the way he has taken the attack to the opposition and the way he has dominated. That's something I have enjoyed.

But there are a lot of things we as Karnataka cricketers learn from a lot of our seniors, which is discipline, the way we carry and conduct ourselves. Also, making education as one of the very important things in life along with cricket, That is something almost everyone has done in Karnataka, That is something that I have picked up.

Your runs in Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare say that you are adept at both longer format and one-dayers. Which format suits you?

I enjoy playing every format. Every format posed a challenge to you. That is something that is nice. In Indian domestic circuit, you have Ranji Trophy that goes for two months, then you have T20 and one-dayers. Adapting is something that we learn quickly. Best way to adapt is when you have the time in between the end of one tournament and start of next. How you make use of practice is important. Looking at international series, there is Test series followed by One-day series. That adaptability is something that we pick up. Different formats pose different challenges and we are always up for it. It can get a little tricky. It is definitely not the most easiest of things. It is how you make use of the practice sessions that becomes crucial.

How easy or difficult is it for you to forget what you scored in the previous innings and start afresh?

That is something we have learnt over the years, to stay in the present. We can carry the confidence of the previous game. But it is all about staying in the present. Everyday is a new day and you take it one day at a time and as it comes.

What has been the greatest lesson you have learnt from cricket?

Cricket itself teaches you a lot in terms of life lessons. It is a sport that teaches you to work hard, something that the game is a great leveller, and there is nobody who is greater than the game. That is something I have learnt. Working hard and learning to stay in the present because in sport, there is a lot of ups and down. It also helps to learn how to manage the highs and lows in life.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mayank Agarwal has scored the most runs in a List A tournament (723) by an Indian, obliterating Sachin Tendulkar’s 673 in the 2003 Cricket World Cup

N ZONE

2,141 No. of runs Mayank Agarwal has scored in 2017-18, the most in an Indian domestic season, pushing aside Shreyas Iyer’s previous record of 1,947 runs in 2015-16

MAYANK’S SCORES IN 2017-18

Ranji Trophy (1,160 runs at 105.45):
31, 0, 0, 304*, 176, 23, 90, 133*, 173, 134, 78, 15, 3
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (258 runs at 28.66):
55, 2, 10, 13, 86, 6, 9, 0, 77
Vijay Hazare Trophy (723 runs at 90.37):
109, 84, 28, 102, 89, 140, 81, 90