All the president's men

This will be a golden opportunity for all fringe players as they gear up to face the Sri Lankans as part of Board President’s XI squad; be it Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma or Bangalore’s Robin Uthappa, the stakes couldn’t have been higher...

The next few weeks will be crucial for Rohit Sharma. The Ranji Trophy season starts on November 3. Mumbai will be playing Punjab in Chandigarh. Then Sharma will lead the Board President’s XI side against the touring Sri Lankans from November 11 to 13.

Sharma is on a comeback trail. He wasn’t part of the Indian squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy. He also managed to injure his shoulder. For someone so prodigiously talented, not being part of the Indian side should hurt. Sharma wasn’t at his best in the last ODI series he was involved in against the West Indies. He made just 15 runs in four games.

The attacking batsman is just through with the West Zone T20 Championships. The match against the visiting Lankans is his golden chance to make an impression.
“I am very happy that the selectors have placed their faith in me. It is nice to know that they realise that I am responsible enough to lead a Board President’s XI side against Sri Lanka. It is going to be a big game with the Test series also coming up,” Sharma told DNA on Friday.

On captaincy, he said: “I have led Indian Oil whenever Wasim Jaffer has not been able to play. I would leave it to others to judge my style. But I am confident of leading the side well.”

Sharma knows that the runs made against Sri Lanka should count in the selectors’ books. “I know scoring runs in the game will count for a lot. But I am going to treat it as just another match and play my natural game.

“I am coming back after an injury and have been feeling good about my batting during the T20 West Zone matches. I don’t want to go into this game thinking that I have to score runs in order to be picked for India. I want to make runs so that the Board President’s XI do well. If we do well against Sri Lanka it will be of great satisfaction for me and the team.”

For Robin Uthappa, being out of Team India has been a learning curve. He claims that life in the wilderness has made him calmer and even more responsible.

“The time away from the Indian team has been very meaningful in a way. As far as my growth as a cricketer is concerned, I believe, I’ve understood my game a lot more. I know what works for me,” the 23-year-old told DNA on Friday.

Being appointed vice-captain of the Board President’s XI has provided Uthappa an opportunity to fight his way back into the Indian team. Runs against Sri Lanka will count. “It is a good opportunity for me to display my skills and ability to play against a strong attack. I am looking to make every opportunity count,” he said. 

Uthappa hit an unbeaten 157 for Air India in the final of the Corporate Trophy and also made runs in the Karnataka Premier League and the Champions League. However, he knows that sterner tests lie ahead in the form of Sri Lanka.

“I want to play more responsibly. I don’t want to be known as just a flash in the pan.”
He has found the time to work on his game a bit. Uthappa avoids going down the wicket nowadays. “I have understood my batting a lot more. To be honest, I don’t find the need to go down the wicket and hit a bowler now. I have realised I am better off playing from the wicket.”

Uthappa believes that playing the Sri Lankan spinners will be the biggest challenge. “Sri Lanka is a formidable side. We have to play their spinners well. Playing a three-day game against one of the better sides is always a challenge and a learning experience,” Uthappa added.

The Karnataka vice-captain will miss the second round of the Ranji Trophy, an away game against Delhi. “I am really looking forward to the Ranji trophy season as I didn’t score too many runs last year. But playing in the Board President’s XI side is an honour.”