Interview: Performance analysis during TNPL improved me as a player, says R Sai Kishore

There is no dearth of talent in Indian cricket. One such rookie, R Sai Kishore, talks about his journey as a cricketer. He throws light on how staying positive is important as a cricketer and also talks about his experience of playing for Tamil Nadu, the TNPL and working closely with high-performance analyst - Lakshmi Narayanan.

Q. You are currently playing for Tamil Nadu under 23s in the C.K. Nayudu Trophy. How has the preparation been for the tournament and for the season?

The preparation is going good. We lost the 1^st match but we have got a team of youngsters. We are confident of putting up a good performance against Baroda in the next match and in the upcoming matches of the tournament as well. Wee played in the Buchi Babu tournament and also had a camp in Dehradun for preparations.

Q. You played for Chepauk Super Gillies in TNPL. How was your experience in TNPL?

I am very fortunate to be a part of Chepauk Super Gillies. We ended up as runners up. The tournament was a good learning curve for me. The preparations were lot different and professional than usual. The thing that stood apart was the performance analysis. I worked with our high-performance analyst Lakshmi Narayanan; he made a huge impact on me.

Earlier, I used to focus only on my strengths but Lakky and I went through a lot of videos of different opposition batsmen. I analysed their weaknesses too. Lots of teams have got analysts with them but Lakky is the master. He has worked with various champion teams like Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions, and India under 19s; it was very helpful working with him.

Q. You have played for Tami lNadu in different age groups. How long do you think it will take before you make it to Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy team?

Frankly speaking, I performed really well in selection matches for Ranji Trophy team. But I am not thinking about that. Right now I am focused on playing the C.K. Nayudu tournament. The Tamil Nadu team is performing really well in Ranji trophy. It’s just a matter of time before I’ll get an opportunity to play in Ranji Trophy and I want to stay positive during this period.

Q. Like many spinners, you too bowl with the new ball in many matches. Being a spinner, do you like bowling with the new ball?

I don’t depend much on the pitch or wait for the pitch to provide assistance. I like to flight the ball and get some drift. So I like bowling with the new ball. It’s not something I have been doing since the start of my career, but in last 2-3 years I have bowled significantly with the new ball.

Q. You have worked with different coaches across different stages of your career. Can you talk about the coaches who have helped you in shaping your career?

Currently, I am working with Mr. Jaykumar. In fact, after TNPL got over, I started working with him. Before that, I was trained by Sunil Subramanian, who is also a coach in the Tamil Nadu team. R Madhavan, who is a left arm spinner himself, also coached me. I also worked with former India player Hemang Badani. Throughout my career, I never had any personal coach. But all these guys helped me improve my game in different camps organised by TNCA.

Q. Lastly, who do you look up to as your idol in cricket?

I am a left arm batsman. I grew up watching Sourav Ganguly. He is my favourite when it comes to batting. And, for bowling, it is needless to say that I a great admirer of R Ashwin. He is from Tamil Nadu and he has reached an apogee in a short time. I really look up to him as a spinner.