Future of Indian cricket: Kaustubh Pawar

Starting today, on a weekly basis, I will be covering some of the upcoming talents in the Indian First class cricket circuit, who could step up to make it to the International level in the future. This weeks upcoming talent is, Kaustubh Pawar from Mumbai.

Kaustubh Pawar

While playing a game of cricket at two years of age, Kaustubh Pawar’s father took a resolution that he would model his son on his hero, Kapil Dev.

Although today, Kaustubh rolls his arms over as a part time bowler – his medium pace bowling doesn’t provide much essence of the proficiency that Kapil Dev possessed.

Instead, it is his hunger for big runs with the bat that dominates his game, which incidentally is sculpted on his own idol, Rahul Dravid.

Pawar, who lives in the sub-conurbation of Thane, did his schooling from Indian Education Society School in Bandra, Mumbai. He learnt his initial cricketing lessons at one of Mumbai’s foremost cricket clubs, MIG.

Right from his time at MIG, Kaustubh demonstrated his class, character and appetite for big runs. He was the top scorer for Mumbai at the under-15 level, which he followed up by his impressive performances at the under-19 level.

He helped Mumbai clinch the Vijay Merchant Trophy with a match-winning innings in the final. He also portrayed his talent at the Cooch Behar Trophy, notching up three back to back 150-plus innings. He went on to score 648 runs in 8 innings in the series, at an average of almost 93.

Backed by these sturdy performances at the junior level, he was elevated to the Mumbai Ranji side in the 2011/12 season. He was brought into the side as an opener to partner Wasim Jaffer, because Mumbai had to make do with a makeshift opener for a long time.

Pawar made his Mumbai debut against Railways at Delhi in November 2011. He showed good resolve, batting with Jaffer, as he encountered the early swing of the Railway bowlers well. He was dismissed for a 71-ball 31 which include 7 boundaries. Just few days later at Cuttack, against a weak Orissa side, he scored his first hundred (127 off 299 balls) at first class level.

He shone into prominence with an innings of 161 off 328 balls against Madhya Pradesh in early 2012. He had come into bat at No.3, and saw his side tumble to 60 for 5 at one stage. His innings lasted more than 8 hours, where he was bruised and beaten by the strong Madhya Pradesh attack. But he refused to get out and took Mumbai to a strong 346 for 7 at the end of days play.

This innings made his reputation, earning him accolades from fellow team-mate, and legendary Mumbaikar, Sachin Tendulkar. He ended the season with 531 runs in 14 innings, with 2 fifties and 2 hundreds, helping Mumbai reach the semifinal.

He continued to impress the following season, with significant contributions at the top of the order. This season, he became the second man to carry his bat through for Mumbai, emulating Madhav Mantri’s feat, against Madhya Pradesh.

His useful contributions paved the way for Mumbai, to secure their record 40th Ranji title. In a team filled with aggressive players, Kaustubh was assigned to hold up his end. Pawar’s presence in the team was vital that contained stroke-makers like Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma.

The right-hander is not one of the most elegant players in the Mumbai line-up, but more than makes it up with his ability to play long innings.

With two seasons of first class cricket, and a bit of experience under his belt now, it would be interesting to see how he shapes up in the next few season. He was recently named in the under-23 team for the ACC Emerging Teams Cup to be played in Singapore from August 17 to 25.