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26th January, 2021. Tamil Nadu, when confronting Himachal Pradesh in the quarter-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, find themselves in a bit of strife. In pursuit of a 136-run mountain, the Southern outfit has been reduced to 66-5, with the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Narayan Jagadeesan (their top scorer in the current edition) and AB Arun Karthik back in the shed.
Yet, just as Himachal Pradesh might’ve started rejoicing, they came face to face with Baba Aparajith – an unflustered character, boasting vast reserves of calmness, composure and of course, perseverance.
And, over the next hour and a bit, Himachal Pradesh endured a first-hand account of what Baba Aparajith could conjure, not just as an ace cricketer, but also as an individual reveling in hardship.
Thus, post the encounter, several were effusive in their praise for Baba Aparajith, with the right-handed batsman having stitched together a fine half-century. However, the proverbial cherry on the top, was provided by Shahrukh Khan, who much like his namesake, sprinkled the glitz and glamour over a tricky run chase.
Yet, much like most of his career, Baba Aparajith, kept grinning like a Cheshire cat, when speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda. The fact that he had again flown under the radar, barely drew a reaction – something that has become increasingly synonymous with a selfless and truly remarkable cricketer.
When quizzed about how he saw himself as a cricketer, Baba Aparajith unsurprisingly replied that he intended to be someone who contributed in whichever way possible – whether it be with the bat, the ball or indeed, in the field. In the process though, he also highlighted his effervescence as the archetypal team man and a cricketer who simply has eyes on the collective.
“Ever since I started cricket, I wanted to be a genuine all-rounder. I just wanted to contribute to victories for my team. Also, being able to contribute in different ways allows me to compensate when I’ve not performed in one facet of the game,” Baba Aparajith told Sportskeeda.
In fact, Baba Aparajith’s tendency to come up trumps, against all odds, and in the most unforeseeable of circumstances, enabled him to produce match-winning performances in the knock-out fixtures of the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup (against Pakistan and New Zealand).
Though Unmukt Chand understandably stole the headlines courtesy a stupendous ton in the final, it was perhaps Baba Aparajith who had caused the biggest splash and had provided the largest bit of optimism, through the tournament.
Unfortunately, though, that promise hasn’t particularly translated into tangible results, at least as far as Baba Aparajith’s own expectations are concerned.
“I have always been hard on myself all these years. But I feel it is time for me to think about what lies ahead, rather than what has happened previously. It is important that I put those ups and downs aside, take learnings from them and concentrate on what needs to be done on the field. And, of course, playing for India is the ultimate dream,” Baba Aparajith added.
Baba Aparajith has excellent numbers in List A cricket
However, despite Baba Aparajith mentioning that he hadn’t lived up to the billing, the raw numbers paint a slightly different story. To put things into perspective, in his List A career, he averages 43.74 across 77 games – a tally that places him among the premier domestic batsmen across the country.
Additionally, he takes a wicket after conceding 31.34 runs – stats that portray him as the genuine all-rounder he has always strived to become. More importantly though, most of his stellar performances have come when he has had his back to the wall, meaning that he has treated adversity as a friend, rather than a foe.
As far as the aforementioned statistics are concerned, they throw light on a kind of cricketer that the Indian cricket team has been crying out for. Recently, in the ODI series against Australia, the Men In Blue craved a batsman who could turn his arm over. Eventually, they had to rely on a half-baked Hardik Pandya to bowl a few overs.
However, owing to the traits Baba Aparijith boasts, there might exist a solution, although, at this juncture, it seems quite a distance away. Yet, it is something that the Indian cricket team could keep an eye on, especially as the demand for genuine three-dimensional cricketers increases manifold.
Additionally, over the past couple of years, Baba Aparajith seems to have come of age, representing a player that knows his role adequately and is willing to pull out all the stops to accomplish it. And, of course, a cricketer that could provide ample enterprise.
Having said that though, there still remain plenty of grey areas that need ironing, especially when speaking about Baba Aparajith’s skill-set. More promisingly though, he readily acknowledges those, stating that he has plenty to improve before truly realizing the vast potential he boasts.
“I am currently in a good frame of mind – mentally, physically and skillfully. The lockdown has been very difficult for a lot of people. However, I used that time to get better and I would like to thank my coaches for it. Mr. Madanagopal, my childhood coach, helped me with my skills and Mr. Shankar Basu enabled me to work on my fitness. I would also like to mention Mr. Bharath Reddy, who is a part of the company I play for (Chemplast) for being the guiding light throughout,” he said.
Furthermore, he talked about being patient and being able to wait for the right opportunities to present themselves, for he believes that everything happens at the appropriate time. Thus, it seems rather poetic that another exceptional innings (against HP on 26th January, 2021) came just a few days prior to the IPL auction – a tournament that Baba Aparajith has been itching to play.
To put things into context, the all-rounder has previously been a part of two IPL franchises – the Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant. Unfortunately, though, he falls in the rare category of cricketers to have not played a single IPL fixture, despite being in the squad for the better part of five seasons.
However, instead of looking back at that period with trepidation, he rejoices in reminiscing that phase, emphasizing that the teachings gained, have aided him immensely.
When asked about which players he took cues from, Baba Aparajith was quick to name Michael Hussey and of course, MS Dhoni – a cricketer who has been the idol for more than a billion aspirants.
“I spent a lot of time with Michael Hussey during the IPL. We used to talk about my batting, I also batted alongside him in the nets. And, we used to chat about things when he was part of the TNPL commentary team too. As for MS Dhoni, I didn’t interact with him as much. But I was fascinated by the way he prepared for matches, the decisions he took on the field and I tried to observe as much as I could and tried to inculcate as much of those learnings in my game,” Baba Aparajith quipped.
Yet, 2021 IPL Auction being in close proximity, Baba Aparajith, having undergone the ebbs and flows of the cricketing cycle, doesn’t seem as bothered about any potential IPL deal, rather elaborating the importance of concentrating on the present – something that would ultimately make IPL franchises sit up and take notice.
In fact, Baba Aparajith, throughout his conversation with Sportskeeda, seemed so level-headed that he rarely mentioned the IPL auction, instead, focusing on Tamil Nadu’s impending semi-final contest against Rajasthan on the 29th of January, 2021.
“The team is in a very good state of mind. We are keeping things very simple. Dinesh Karthik and the coaches are taking care of the planning part and they’re taking the pressure off us. We are not thinking too much about it but we want to win the match,” Baba Aparajith commented.
Thus, despite essentially being at a crossroad in his career, wherein he is entering his peak years as someone with unfulfilled potential, he still represents a cricketer capable of understanding the various nuances of the game and modelling his outlook accordingly.
In fact, that is a propensity not many cricketers are blessed with, for the majority are usually pre-occupied with facets that might not be under their control. Baba Aparajith though, seems to have eradicated the indecisiveness and has put forth a version that might serve him well, in the future.
All those years ago, in 2012, Baba Aparajith was part of one of the most buoyant and confident Indian U-19 sides to have been assembled. Yet, even back then, he depicted maturity that went well beyond his years – perhaps even signaling that he possessed the know-how to navigate around the trials and tribulations of professional sport.
Nearly a decade later, he seems every bit of the individual that seemed cool, calm and collected and also seems full value for a cricketer that could still achieve great things for the country.
Most tellingly though, despite the obvious talent at his disposal, he isn’t one to look too far ahead, meaning that he usually treats every obstacle as something different. And, even when those are stacked up ridiculously against him, he finds an avenue to emerge from the rubble.
After all, that is just what he did against Himachal Pradesh a few days ago. And, the trait of almost always finding a way, is something that top-drawer cricketers are privy to, isn’t it?
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