The younger players who have stood out?Dinesh: In our team, in terms of youngsters, Kaushik Gandhi has stood out. He is somebody who has really taken up the pressure, doing exceedingly well. Then there is Washington Sundar- another fine player who has done very well. I don’t want to keep naming players, but these are the two players who come straight to my mind.
Interestingly, if I am right, the highest wicket-taker in our team is L Balaji. Also, this tournament has been brilliant for experienced players as well. Hats off to him (Balaji) for the amount of interest he has shown and the fun he has brought about in the group, he has been phenomenal.
Sathish: The talk of the town has definitely been Sai (Kishore). He has been fantastic and has been doing well for us. I hope he continues to do it and reach the next level. Bobo (Ashwath Mukunthan) played only in the last game but still picked up five wickets. There may be players who haven’t got chances, but that doesn’t mean we don’t believe in them, or don’t have confidence in them. Also, there is the experienced (Vasanth) Saravanan – maybe one of the oldest players in the league, who has done well. As a unit, we are like family, each of us have contributed in their own way. It is just the matter of one more game.
How was the Duleep Trophy experience?Dinesh: The pink ball is an interesting concept, and as I have been saying, if the crowd was what we needed to go by, then lots of people came for the game. People were coming in the nights, watching the game. But, in terms of the pink ball, they still have to do a little bit of work (for it to be a success in different conditions).
It is more suited for slightly seaming wickets, as the ball can hold on to its lacquer, a little bit. For the spinners, there is not much purchase off the wicket, but then Kookabura have done some sort of homework, tried to change some things with the ball. D/N (Tests) cricket is a very interesting concept, it should be embraced by all countries.
How about trying pink ball in the TNCA matches?Dinesh:The dynamics of the game will change. You could have played games right up to the semifinals, where you are dependent on the spinners. But, once you reach the finals, and you play under lights, then obviously the fast bowlers are more important.
It is also important as to what time of the year you are going to play. Suppose, If you play at a time when there is dew, then it becomes a problem as it is very favourable (to batsmen). These are only the two things I can think of, but if you want to pull in the crowds, it is not a bad way to do it.
Your (Satish) name has not been listed for the probables of the Ranji Trophy, so what are your plans for the upcoming domestic season?
Sathish: I will just play my normal game, enjoy the cricket, score some runs and put pressure on the selectors. I am not looking to play Ranji Trophy outside of Tamil Nadu.
Do you think this tournament can produce national-level players on the lines of the IPL?Dinesh: Look, no one can directly find a place in Team India solely on their performance in the India Cements TN Premier League. Firstly, after playing in this tournament, they will have to play for the Tamil Nadu team – something that can happen in this year. Keeping this in mind, I am sure there will be a lot of difference to the Tamil Nadu T20 team (in 2016) compared to the previous years’.
I believe there will be a lot of different players and even the selectors will also be looking at guys who have done well in this format. So, when they play well for Tamil Nadu, they will be looked for an IPL team straightaway, and that is the way to go, depending on how they perform. Of course, they will also have a chance to play for India. It has been a great platform for local players to represent different districts and eventually pick a good Tamil Nadu team for the future.
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