"Keep doing what you are best at" - Atharva Taide recalls MS Dhoni's advice during IPL 2022

January 2018. Atharva Taide and Vidarbha have navigated their way to the final of the 2017-18 Cooch Behar Trophy. The game is slated to take place at Nagpur, meaning that Vidarbha enjoy home advantage. But when they lose the toss, there are a few grumbles around the venue. Not because Madhya Pradesh have a pretty decent side, but also because batting second and possibly last, is never an easy task at Nagpur.

Vidarbha, though, stick to their guns and bundle MP out for 289. There is excitement at the ground that Vidarbha can win the competition for the first time in their history. More excitement, however, is reserved for Taide – a batter the country might not have heard about but those in Nagpur have been drooling over for the past few months.

The left-handed batter has entered the summit clash as one of the leading run-scorers in the U-19 season. But when it matters, he takes his performances up a notch. He plunders a triple ton, becoming the only batter not named Yuvraj Singh to do so in the final of the Cooch Behar Trophy. More importantly, he does so with the class and grace that makes several believe that he is born to play cricket.

A few months later, he finds himself picked for the India U-19 red-ball side set to tour Sri Lanka. At the first time of asking, on a relatively tricky track, he creams another century. That, though, is probably overshadowed by Ayush Badoni scoring a ton. But those who have watched Taide in the flesh, know that there is something special about this lad.

In the very next game, he upstages himself. This time, he takes only 172 balls to smash 177 and the Sri Lankan bowlers into submission. It is, if anything, the most brazen proclamation that he is destined for bigger and better things. That knock, too, doesn’t quite the recognition it deserves because Pawan Shah cracks a double hundred.

This, by the way, has been a slightly recurring trend, as far as Taide has been concerned. Over the years, he has had the performances to back his talent. Almost always, however, some factor or the other has ridden him of the opportunities he deserves.

Atharva Taide was picked up by Punjab Kings for IPL 2022

Prior to IPL 2022, it changed. The Punjab Kings took a punt on Taide, hoping that he would be able to recreate his domestic circuit magic. Chances, as you might have guessed by now, were at a premium.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Taide opened up on his maiden IPL season, and how those at the franchise made him feel as if he had always part of the outfit.

“The IPL was a life-changing experience. We had a wonderful camaraderie (at Punjab Kings). There was a sense of acceptance at all times. Everyone was treated the same way and that is the best thing I have picked up. Most of my interactions were around how I can improve as a cricketer and a person,” he added.

The left-handed batter also loved picking Shikhar Dhawan’s brains. Dhawan and Taide are quite similar in terms of their batting style. Both like to time the ball rather than bludgeon it and both have strokes that are worth the admission fee alone. But instead of talking about boundary-hitting, Taide revealed an interesting conversation he had with Dhawan – one that revolved around how to get an innings underway in adverse circumstances.

“During training sessions, I used to talk to Shikhar Dhawan. I have learnt a lot of things. We spoke about how to start off when the ball is moving. If you watch his (Dhawan’s) game, he takes a lot of singles. That is very difficult during the field restrictions. When the ball swings, you can get beaten if you try a big shot and look for boundaries only. It then leads to dot balls and builds pressure. We had a chat about this and it was very good of him to come to me and discuss these things,” Taide elaborated.

Taide also opened up on how he loved spending time with Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone. While Bairstow, according to Taide, had one of the sharpest cricketing brains in the IPL, Livingstone tried inculcating a match-winner’s mindset whenever talking to the youngster.

Most cricketers, though, feed off opportunities. Every ounce of effort exerted in training sessions is done hoping to play games of cricket. So, for a 22-year-old, who came into IPL 2022 on the back of sparkling domestic form, it would’ve been tough warming the benches.

Fortunately, Taide seems to be someone who isn’t too bothered about when the opportunity comes, as long as it arrives. Having regularly seen his displays underplayed because of the more fashionable names around him, his mantra, considering his tender age, is quite simple. And, quite revealing.

“It’s not about the chances you get but about what impact you make when you get them. At the end of the day, you have to score runs and you have to make your team win. It does not matter if that opportunity comes today or in two years’ time. It is not important how early you make your debut. What is important is how long you can maintain your levels. I am working on just keeping myself ready whenever the chance presents itself. I hope that whenever I get my opportunity, I will never let it go,” Taide quipped.

The youngster was also fortunate enough to spend some time with MS Dhoni. And this is what Taide had to say about the great man and his advice.

“I had asked MS Dhoni a question around what my preparations should be whenever I get a chance. He kept it very simple. The answer that he gave is still fresh in my mind. He asked me to just keep doing what I am best at. If you understand your game, you have the best chance to perform on a particular day. It is not as if you have to go out of your way and do everything.

The first match of the IPL can get overwhelming and you feel that you have to show all facets of your game. What is crucial is that you understand what is needed at a particular moment and how it can be achieved with your own style. We had a good chat of around 10 minutes and he explained that the IPL is not very different. The bowlers might be a little quicker and smarter. But once you get into the thick of things, it becomes slightly easier and you just have to play your game,” Taide told Sportskeeda.

For a lot of people, this might seem simple and an advice that might actually not make a huge difference. But for someone like Taide, who has gone through so much in life already, it becomes very pertinent.

Back in 2013, Taide, who was only 13 years old at that time, took the tough decision of moving away from Akola and joining the VCA Residential Academy in Nagpur. The goal, as is the case now as well, was to play top-level cricket and ultimately represent India.

The ups and downs, though, have made him who he is and have taught him that good things only come to those who wait and keep their end of the bargain. And of course, do not let others shatter their confidence.

“Staying away from my family at that young age was very difficult. It was the biggest sacrifice you can ever make. Family is that support which stays with you, irrespective of the good and bad times. I developed as a person because I had to do everything based on my hard work.

I knew I had to come out of my comfort zone to achieve my goal of playing for India. I think it has helped me greatly. I have always kept pushing myself. A lot of people have challenged my training patterns also because it is probably not orthodox. I didn’t pay much attention to it and kept working on my game. And I think the results are proving them wrong now,” he said.

So, from many different perspectives, it feels that Taide has what it takes to crack the ultimate cricketing code. He is also not averse to learning new tricks. But he also knows where to draw a fine line and stick to what he knows works best for him. He also has the uncanny knack of flying under the radar and still be relevant enough. Oh, and he seems to know a thing or two about fighting setbacks and overcoming them. That particular trait is perhaps emphasised by how he approaches life.

“Jitna bada villain hota hai, usse zyaada bada hero hota hai, sir [The greater the villain, the more celebrated the hero is.] The tougher the challenges get, the more rewarding it feels to come through it,” Taide signed off.

Hence, it is clear that this is a confident young man – a cricketer who understands that nothing will ever be given on a plate to him. Yet, he also knows that if he keeps doing his bit, it won’t be long before his contributions are recognized adequately.

Back in 2018, he arrived on the domestic stage and owned it. If you are getting compared to Yuvraj after an U-19 campaign, it says something about your talent, your penchant to leave a lasting impression and your tendency to force people to glance at your genius.

In 2022, that hunger and desire to prove people wrong hasn’t dwindled. The self-belief, if anything, is greater than it was in 2018. Who’s to say then that Taide won’t go on to scale unparalleled heights.

It will, of course, not happen immediately. There have been hundreds of cricketers who have shone brightly before fizzling out just as swiftly. The best part is Taide knows this is how the cookie crumbles. More fashionable names might get gigs before him, and he might have to wait for his opening longer than people of his age usually do. When his opportunity arrives, though, he has vowed to not let it slip.

He acknowledges the road ahead will be steep. That it will be filled with challenges and that it will complicate matters, even testing the core thought of wanting to keep things simple. But hey, hasn’t that been the case with him throughout his career?