Tamil Nadu: Fielding coach Avinash reminisces  team's stellar run in white ball cricket

The Tamil Nadu cricket team has grown from strength to strength in limited overs cricket on the Indian domestic circuit. The team, led by the effervescent Vijay Shankar, ticked all the boxes as they triumphed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and finished second-best in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Losing the Vijay Hazare Trophy final by 11 runs was a rare blip in an otherwise extraordinary season for Tamil Nadu. The team saw the better of heavyweights like Mumbai, Karnataka and Bengal. Although they faltered against Puducherry and Baroda, the team picked themselves up well and coasted to the final.

Preparing the team from behind the scenes is an able support staff. Helmed in the dressing room by head coach M Venkataramana, assistant coach Prasanna and fielding coach Avinash Khandelwal, the Tamil Nadu team is not short of inspiration from the sidelines.

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Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Tamil Nadu's fielding coach Avinash Khandelwal threw light on Tamil Nadu's domestic season, Dinesh Karthik's influence on the team and more.

Excerpts from an interview with the Tamil Nadu fielding coach, Avinash Khandelwal

Q: How does it feel to be a part of two exciting tournaments?

A: It is a very good feeling to be a part of two excellent tournaments (Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy). It is good to have teams who see Tamil Nadu as a force to be reckoned with in white ball cricket.

What makes the Vijay Hazare Trophy outing all the more special is the way we battled the conditions too. It wasn't easy at all. The toss played a crucial role in the later stages of the tournament in Jaipur. The wicket was damp and there was a lot for the bowlers in the first 30 minutes or so.

The ball was doing a bit and for the first 10 overs or so, it was the bowlers who were calling the shots. To negate that initial phase, then consolidate and then to post match-winning scores, including scores in excess of 300 more than twice, was commendable from the team.

Q: Talk us through the influence Dinesh Karthik has on the Tamil Nadu team?

Dinesh Karthik has made a huge difference to the Tamil Nadu team. He is like a magnet who can attract people, both on and off the field. His experience has been valuable and his inputs from behind the stumps have augured well for the team.

He has been one of the most influential players we have had. He has a lot of ideas and they keep coming from him. He passes them on to Vijay Shankar and the bowlers. He has been an excellent captain for Tamil Nadu.

Q: How easy or difficult was it to group as a team?

A: The whole 20 have been an entertaining bunch. We played as a team, we won as a team and we also lost as a team. There were no individuals in the team.

The bunch of boys have played cricket for Tamil Nadu for a very long time. They have grouped well together. They are familiar with each other. They spend time together and after the match you can see everyone playing poker or playing music or singing songs together. It is the camerederie that has brought the Tamil Nadu team so far.

Q: How did Tamil Nadu beat big teams but lose to a couple of matches where it should have been an easy win for the team?

A: Winning and losing are a part and parcel of the game. What was important was that we were sure of the brand of cricket we were playing. We did well to beat some heavyweights and I must admit there was a drop in intensity when we played against Puducherry and Baroda. And it is bound to happen.

In the match against Puducherry, the rain break broke our momentum and against Baroda we could have applied ourselves better. But what was important was the fact that we learned a lot from those defeats and didn't commit those mistakes again.

Q: How much has Tamil Nadu improved in their fielding?

A: The Tamil Nadu team has come a long way in terms of fielding. It is now heartening to see the players come forward and work on specific aspects in fielding. There is a cultural shift and the intensity has gone up by notches.

We have moved from taking catches, effecting run outs to taking difficult catches, how many half chances we have been able to take and how many runs we have been able to save. It is all about changing the match with their fielding abilities too.

Q: Having been a part of such a vibrant and an insightful dressing room, what is next for you?

A: A contract with an Indian Premier League team would be a dream come true. I am hoping for the best. I have been with the Tamil Nadu team for more than half a decade and it has been an enjoyable ride.