From Hong Kong to the TNPL via Durham, globetrotting Jhathavedh Subramanyan is very much at home

It's not easy being a globetrotter. Shunting from one place to another at different junctures of your schooling and academic growth comes with its set of challenges. Adapting to different environments, cultures and lifestyles can take a lot out of an individual.

It can also shape a person into a confident personality ready to accept any challenge that life throws at them. Much like Jhathavedh Subramanyan, who has already become a leg-spin sensation at the tender age of 23.

The journey has been nothing short of a roller-coaster for the youngster, who hails from a Tamil-speaking family and currently resides in Chennai, but was born in Hong Kong, with his family settled there at the time. Cricket was always dear to him, and he wasn't going to turn a blind eye to the opportunities that the sport threw up over time.

After learning the basics of his craft in Hong Kong, Jhathavedh is now a bona fide pupil of veteran Indian leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan. He has nurtured his craft under the latter's tutelage in Chennai and has gone on to create ripples in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). His team, the Lyca Kovai Kings, are in the summit clash at the time of writing, with Jhathavedh's consistent leg-spin bowling playing a pivotal role to that end.

Oh, there was a pit-stop in between at Durham too as he made his first-class debut for Durham MCCU against a Middlesex outfit featuring England internationals Sam Robson, Toby Roland-Jones and John Simpson, apart from Irish veteran Tim Murtagh. He also nabbed Australian all-rounder Hilton Cartwright for a golden duck in that game.

It has been one exhilarating ride. Jhathavedh detailed it all and plenty more in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, starting with the very beginning of his journey, which was kickstarted in Hong Kong.

"I was born in Hong Kong. My father got a job there. I was born there and I first started playing cricket at the Hong Kong Cricket Club. I was there until the age of 15 and then went to school in the UK. I was in boarding school in a school called Wellington College. I actually played with Sam Curran for a year. He was a year above me. I was there for two years and then was in Durham University for three years," says Jhathavedh.

That's quite some early experience, alright! Without a shadow of doubt, he has had plenty of learnings along the way.

"I’ve been moving around quite a bit but it’s been a good experience. I’ve learnt different things from different cultures, different people around the world. Of course, settling into a new place can be quite challenging at the start because of course it’s a different environment and culture but it’s been really good so far. I’ve really enjoyed my time in all of the places and the TNPL as well. So yeah, Hong Kong to the UK and then Chennai - three places I’ve been living in," says Jhathavedh.

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"They go by a process-oriented approach" - Jhathavedh Subramanyan on learning under Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and S Ramky

The year 2016 was a pivoting point in Tamil Nadu cricket. The TNPL was officially on floors and it catapulted the state's rise to the pinnacle of white-ball cricket in India, with the team tasting success aplenty.

It was also a career-shaping year for Jhathavedh as he received hands-on training for the first time under his two gurus - Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, and S Ramky from Sports Mechanics. Meeting a former India international and learning from him directly - oh, that must have been quite surreal!

"It’s amazing. So I first met him (Sivaramakrishnan) in 2016. I used to come for about 10 days to two weeks. I used to have in-person coaching from LS sir and also Ramky sir from Sports Mechanics. He was also there so both together have been guiding me for a number of years. To be honest it’s amazing, I never would have dreamt of this. I wouldn’t have ever dreamt of this happening as a young kid growing up in Hong Kong to interact with such a legend."

"The amount of knowledge that they have, it’s incredible. They approach cricket in a different way to what I’ve been used to in Hong Kong. They go by a process-oriented approach - they look at the action, the position you are in, the delivery stride - all these nuances they look at. It was amazing the first time in 2016 and then to come every year, it’s amazing to interact with them and I’ve learnt so much from LS sir and Ramky sir as well."

The aforementioned mentors have eased Jhathavedh into the cricketing ecosystem in India. As have the lad's own family, who are very much native to the state of Tamil Nadu and have proven to be a massive support system for the prodigy. The message to him is very clear - just give it your best shot!

"It (my biggest support) has to be my family. My parents, my brother as well. My brother also recently got married to my sister-in-law too. All of them have been really supportive. My mum actually came from Hong Kong. She’s with me in Chennai along with my grandmother. They’ve supported me a lot and the main thing is they just want me to give it my best shot and whatever results happen, it’s not in our control. All we can do is give it our best shot."

"That’s something that they’ve been very clear about. That really helps, having that sort of support. The kind of support that they’re giving as well is amazing. They’re the people that have really supported me. And of course outside of the family, LS sir and Ramky sir have supported me a lot. Without that coming to India would not have been possible. I was studying in England. Because of LS sir and Ramky sir I was able to move across to Chennai and pursue my dream of playing cricket."

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"The will to perform" - Jhathavedh Subramanyan on the most important attribute for a wrist-spinner

Wrist-spinners are almost always brave and aggressive, with the quest for wickets often being their top-most priority. That's the way every type of bowler wishes to operate, of course, but an art as complicated as wrist-spin, with its many variations and the need for control, is unique.

Jhathavedh is clear on what is the most important attribute to master the same - the will to perform.

"I think the will to perform. Not just leg-spin - if you’re batting or a fast-bowler - that will to perform, that fight that you have, that helps the most. Especially as a leg-spinner you need to be brave. It is a difficult art for sure. You need to be brave and you need to back your skillset when you get onto the field. That’s what it is - the will to perform and being as brave as possible. And for me personally when I go onto the field I try to be as calm as possible and I’m sure you may have seen on TV, I try to stay as relaxed as possible. If you relax and your muscles are not as tight it just helps you perform a little bit better."

A look at Jhathavedh's performances and body language throughout TNPL 2023 will tell you that he certainly walks the talk. It's not just a matter of speaking when he refers to the need to stay calm. It reflects on the field and has unsurprisingly translated into consistent returns for him.

The early signs are an indication of Jhathavedh's clarity of thought, clarity that reflects in his answer when asked about the volatile T20 format and how it has tended to suit the quicker wrist-spinners more, if recent trends are anything to go by. The 23-year-old is firm on what is the key to mastering pace variations in the format.

"I think each bowler has their own strengths. Rashid Khan has been doing really well and Ravi Bishnoi too. But you’ve also had many successful spinners who are slightly slower through the air like Amit Mishra, Kuldeep Yadav. Yuzvendra Chahal slows it down. There’s not one uniform rule as such. I think it all depends on the strengths of each bowler. Adil Rashid varies his pace quite a lot."

"So I think it depends on your strengths as such. I wouldn’t say there’s one rule that you have to be quick or slow. It varies from bowler to bowler. With regards to mastering the speed variations, each bowler has their own method. From what I’ve learnt if you focus on parts of your action you can use certain parts of your body to ensure that the ball comes out in a different manner. It could be using your front arm or your back leg. Or some people might run in faster. Each person has their own method."

It's no surprise that Jhathavedh knows what to do, with his focus being on certain fine nuances that often go under the radar. Those early experiences of playing first-class cricket for Durham MCCU - in the freezing cold English weather, to boot - have certainly enriched him as well.

"It was more than just quite different. It was extremely different (from conditions in India). The first-class games that I played, the temperatures usually did not go above 10-11 degrees. Most of the time it was about 8. Coming and playing first division in Chennai, the temperature rarely dipped below 30. It’s very difficult to bowl in the cold weather because you can’t really move your fingers much."

"Tactically you have to do a couple of things slightly differently. Of course when you can’t move your fingers in the first couple of overs, it’s tough to spin the ball. Both the first-class games that I played were towards the end of March and the start of April. It’s quite tough actually to spin the ball. The first couple of overs it’s just about getting warmed up."

A lot different when you're playing in Chennai or in the sub-continent in general, of course. And Jhathavedh agrees:

"In Chennai you can actually spin the ball from the first ball since your fingers are actually warm. There are a few challenges but I’m really happy to have had the experience of playing in England, in Chennai and a bunch of other countries as well when I was playing for Hong Kong, both in the age-group categories and for the senior team. I got the opportunity to play in a range of conditions. I’m really thankful to have had that experience. Adapting can be quite challenging but i think once you start speaking to the seniors as well that really helps."

Picking the brains of his seniors is something that Jhathavedh, like any other cricketer on the rise, has wisely done to gallop faster up the charts. As a matter of fact, his skipper in the TNPL has been an inspiration himself.

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Jhathavedh on Shahrukh Khan, the inspirational skipper

Shahrukh Khan was the captain of the Lyca Kovai Kings last year when they shared the TNPL trophy with the Chepauk Super Gillies. A near-flawless season again has left him and his side within one victory of having the trophy all to themselves.

Jhathavedh (center) has enjoyed working with skipper Shahrukh Khan at the Kovai Kings this year (Picture Credits: tnpl.cricket).

It's no coincidence that Shahrukh has led his team to the summit clash again. Jhathavedh puts it down to a process-oriented approach and the fact that every bowler including himself has had the freedom to express themselves.

"I think his approach to the game and captaincy is something that certainly inspires not just me but everyone else. He’s very process-oriented and he supports us a lot which I’m sure you would have seen on TV as well. He just tells me to express myself and I’m sure he tells the same to the other bowlers as well. Just express yourself, just follow the process and whatever result happens that’s absolutely okay. That’s certainly something that inspires me and he’s certainly someone that I look up to for sure. If I ever get the opportunity to captain in the future then certainly I’ll try and follow similar steps to what he’s been doing for Lyca this season."

Jhathavedh has captained Hong Kong before in List A cricket, and the journey has just begun, but the confidence that he oozes is out there for everyone to see.

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The journey ahead for Jhathavedh Subramanyan

This has been some journey, eh? Jhathavedh's flight took off in Hong Kong and after traversing a number of different routes, it has landed in Tamil Nadu. He's very much at home here, but the travels do not stop. If anything, they have just begun.

Surely, scouts in the IPL would have taken note of his talent and potential. But is there a particular team that he fancies playing for?

"There’s no particular team as such. Whatever team is interested in me of course I’d love to play for them. But for me personally, I had an interview a few days back, I said these two names - Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal - I’d love to rub shoulders with them. And also Adam Zampa as well. He’s in the same team as Yuzvendra Chahal, Rajasthan Royals. I think every team has a leggie so whichever team, I’d love to rub my shoulders with all the leggies and love to learn from them."

IPL scouts, are you watching? (Picture credits: tnpl.cricket).

There's a lot on his bucket list, much like any aspiring young cricketer, and he's eager to tick them off.

"I think everyone in the TNPL does want to go and play for Tamil Nadu and the IPL and if it works there, there’s India. So I think that path is where most individuals in the TNPL will be thinking along similar lines. To be honest I don’t really want to think too far ahead - we still have this tournament to go but I’ll still focus on this. But yeah if this goes well, the next thing will be state probables. Then from state probables it will be playing for the state. And then there’s IPL and then of course there’s India after that. That’s generally the progression. I’m trying not to think too far ahead," says Jhathavedh.

Tamil Nadu has an endless assembly line of finger spinners - both right and left-arm. Wrist-spinners, on the other hand, have been very limited in supply, with Murugan Ashwin being an exceptional case. Is Jhathavedh Subramanyan the answer to that hole in the state team?

"Yeah for sure I’d love to of course go and play the next level but I’ll take it one game at a time. I did come across to India with a dream to go forward. If something like that happens, if I do go to the next level then it will be fantastic."

Every human being is a sum total of all the experiences they have ever had, and Jhathavedh is no different. Life has taken him places, both figuratively and literally, and those adventures are clearly reflected in his journey so far.

It has been one exciting ride for this immensely talented leg-spinner, for whom the ultimate destination in this journey is a vivid picture. The path ahead is clear - he's very much invested in forging a career in Indian cricket, despite his Hong Kong and English connections.

The Indian cricket chapter has officially begun for Jhathavedh, with the TNPL flight just taking off. The way he has progressed so far, he should do just fine.