TNPL 2016: In-form VB Thiruvallur Veerans skipper reveals what his side is working on

VB Thiruvallur Veerans skipper and Man of the match Baba Aparajith spoke exclusively to the India Cements TN Premier League website after a thrilling two-run win against Lyca Kovai Kings at Chepauk on Saturday.

Your immediate thoughts post this humdinger!

I was very happy (after the match) as we desperately wanted to win. I think we’re mostly into the semi-finals. I am very happy with the way we played, the desperation, the hunger. Over all I’m very happy.

Your knock which started slowly and ended with a bang

I think at one point I was unable to rotate the strike easily, so I thought I would wait till the sixteenth over and then accelerate. As the wickets fell in a jiffy, I thought if we could try and score 40 runs, we could score close to 130. We aimed for 135, but everything fell in place as in the end and we got 170.

On bowling in the death overs

The way we bowled in the last two to three overs, it was fantastic. I think Rahil (Shah) showed what he is capable of. Defending 13 runs in the last over is not easy.

How was the atmosphere at Chepauk?

The fan support has been really good. It is a different feeling playing under lights at Chepauk. In front of a good crowd, I think we had everything going in our favour.

Did your efforts with the ball make all the difference?

We started really well and in six overs they were only around 37. But they later batted well and bounced back. The last three overs, I think our bowlers bowled really well. Also, one or two sixes will happen in a T20 match. I will give the team six out of ten for execution of plans.

Were you worried at any point?

I was confident, but worried. You can’t be over-confident as a captain, but you’ll have that nervousness, at some point, when defending such a total.

What are your thoughts on the awareness the tournament has created about local players?

I think it’s a great platform. And if I had scored all these runs in a tournament which was not telecast live, nobody would have even watched it. Lots of people watch it as it is live and the fact that a few legends commentate makes it even more special. It’s a good thing for me and I think my luck and efforts are paying off!

Your thoughts on the next game

I think we need to have a winning momentum – a habit. I’m not sure if we’ve qualified (for the play-offs), but I think we need to win the next game to be absolutely sure.

The mood in the team as of now

I think everyone has stepped up and we also have a lot of youngsters in the team who are energetic. Prior to this game, I thought we lacked a bit in our energy on field, so I told the boys to ramp it up a level. We did exactly that and more importantly they executed what we discussed earlier in the team meeting.

Is there any area that the team is working on?

We are working on all three aspects, a little bit. Also, I think that the other batsmen need to start contributing with the bat, a little more. I think if one or two guys step up, we can do better. I think they will come good; it’s a process. Be it Malo, Chatur, Kavin and Hari, everyone has their own style. I think if one of these four gets a big score we can win. Also, our batting is very good, and though they didn’t click in this one, maybe they will in the next.

Kavin especially started really well but was unlucky to be run-out. In the bowling department, I think we need to do better in the power-play. Even in this game the power-play was really good, but then we conceded a lot of runs in the middle overs – an area that we need to work on. Those are the most important overs in T20s as you have a chance to cut off the run-flow.

And last but not the least, a thought on your opponents

I think they (Lyca Kovai Kings) are a very strong team and I was very happy that we won. Beating such a strong team gives you a lot of confidence, and the way they played was amazing. Maybe an over or two took the game away from them but then it was great to win.