Kerala, no longer a cricketing backwater

 Even as the International Cricket Council (ICC) sponsored Champions Trophy matches commenced in Pakistan and Dubai, a cricketing earthquake of mild to moderate intensity struck India during the week that went by.

This was caused by Kerala, hitherto a cricketing backwater, qualifying for the finals of the prestigious Ranji Trophy championship for the first time ever, defeating Gujarat on the basis of lead gained in the first innings, in a closely fought match at Ahmedabad. They will now take on Vidarbha in the finals, to be played at Nagpur from 26 February.

The glee that this achievement brought to the “Malayali” community (persons who speak the Malayalam language) around the world was evident from the manner in which celebrations broke out across the globe to rejoice in the occasion! People of all castes and creeds, from the well-heeled professionals and top honchos of business to the man in the street, savoured the moment by posting congratulatory messages, while the younger generation developed reels and memes to share the joy.

There were broad smiles even amongst the delegates for the “Invest Kerala Global Summit 2025” that was inaugurated around the same time that skipper Sachin Baby held the catch that sealed the first innings lead for the side.

While this development is a matter of great pride for the players and officials who are part of the squad, this is also a dream come true for the cricketers of the earlier generations who played for the state in the previous years. They had toiled hard, suffered insults and ignominies, but continued playing the game resolutely, despite it offering very little by way of financial remuneration or advancement of professional career.

Many of them still stay in active contact with the game, studying the new developments and coaching and mentoring youngsters. The entry into the finals of the premier championship in the domestic circuit, where the side used to be dismissed as “also-rans”, would have warmed the hearts of these battle-hardened veterans.

Development of cricket in Kerala started rather late, much after the sport had taken deep roots in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There were the rare performers who demonstrated exceptional talent like Balan Pandit, the first player from the state to score a double century, Dr Bhaskar, who turned out for India in an unofficial test and Ramesh Sampat, whose performances with the bat earned a mention in “One More Over”, the autobiography of Erapalli Prasanna.

The absence of turf wickets in the state and the limited opportunities for employment for cricketers acted as a big dampener for anyone keen to take this sport seriously. Hence, it was not surprising that the state remained at the bottom of the table in South Zone till the end of the 1970’s, often ending up as the whipping boy for sides like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Hyderabad.

The above handicaps also prompted many of the players to move to Chennai, both for getting a job and also for the experience of playing on turf wickets. This turned out to be a boon for the state as a set of cricketers emerged, who were hardened by playing in the highly competitive Chennai league.

Jayaram, who played for the state with distinction during the 1980’s, even scoring four back to back centuries, belonged to the first batch of players who benefited from this exposure. Ananthapadmanabhan, a talented leg spin bowler who was unfortunate not to play for the country solely because his playing days coincided with that of Anil Kumble, also came through this route.

It was under Ananthapadmanabhan’s leadership that Kerala first qualified for the knockout phase in the Ranji Trophy in the 1994-95 season, defeating a strong Tamil Nadu side in the league phase. Though this was repeated during the 1996-97 season, the side could not make much of a headway in the matches subsequently.

These wins were fashioned by a strong spin attack comprising Ramprakash and Suresh Kumar, besides Ananthapadmanabhan himself. However, the absence of top quality batsmen in the side was felt in the years since the team could not put up decent scores that the bowlers could successfully defend.

In the early years of the present century, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) took two important decisions that were to have major implications in the growth of this sport in Kerala. The first was to set up turf wickets in all districts, and the second was to hire the services of professional players, especially batsmen, to help the senior side post good totals in the Ranji Trophy.

The first led to the development of good quality infrastructure in almost all districts and helped to unearth talent from all corners of the state. The second contributed to the improved performance by the side in the premier national championship.

This period also saw the advent of fast showers Tinu Yohannan and Sreesanth, both of who donned national colours. This proved to be a huge fillip for the youngsters in the state who perceived this was the equivalent of breaking the proverbial “glass ceiling”. Sreesanth also went on to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was instrumental in many up-and-coming cricketers from the state coming to the attention of talent scouts employed by various franchisees of this championship.

The arrival of Sanju Samson on the scene and his success at all levels from junior cricket onwards showed that batsmen from this state could also move up the rungs through domestic cricket and vie for attention at the national level.

Besides, KCA started investing in good coaches, with Dav Whatmore and Chandrakant Pandit taking up this responsibility for a couple of years each. Thus, the stage was set for the team to come up with an exceptional performance, which happened this year.

Cricket is a team game, where the success of the side depends not merely on individual performances but also on the manner in which the players function as a unit. In the Kerala side that has worked wonders this year, this team spirit is all too evident. There have been amazing performances by Salman Nisar and Mohammed Azharuddin with the bat in two crucial games, which helped Kerala to snatch the first-innings lead by narrow margins. Skipper Sachin Baby displayed a cool head on his shoulders while leading the side, besides making handsome contributions with the bat.

The bowlers too toiled hard to maintain the pressure on opposing batsmen, even in conditions favourable to batsmen. This was particularly evident in the semifinals when, after putting up 457 in the first innings, they withstood an early assault by the Gujarat batsmen to seize the upper hand and ensure that the side remained in the game. It is only due to the sustained pressure applied by the bowlers that Gujarat tumbled on the final day, when they almost had one foot in the finals.

However, the contributions made by Jalaj Saxena, an allrounder who bowls off spin and is a gritty lower middle order batsman deserve high praise. He was never given his due by the national selectors despite consistent performances in Ranji Trophy, where he has till date scored 7032 runs, with the highest score of 194, and picked up 482 wickets. After making his debut during the 2005-06 season for Madhya Pradesh, his home state, he has been turning out for Kerala regularly since 2016. His lion hearted performances with the bat and ball was one the key factors that helped Kerala in their journey to the finals.

Similarly, the role played by coach Amay Khurasia also needs special mention. This is the first time he is coaching this side but at no point did he display any signs of uncertainty or lack of confidence. The manner in which he worked with the players and made them believe in their potential and the close relationship he forged with senior players and the captain stood the side in good stead during this championship. Bringing him as the coach was undoubtedly an act of great wisdom by KCA.

Before concluding, one should laud the efforts taken by KCA to promote the game in this state, which have started bearing fruits only of late. The emergence of women cricketers from the state in the national reckoning and the success of the senior side in Ranji Trophy are the results of the measures taken to improve infrastructure for the game. When a cricket stadium was built in the remote Wynad district almost two decades ago, many thought that the project would prove to be a white elephant. But, on the contrary, this helped to discover women players, particularly from the tribal communities hailing from this district, who progressed rapidly to the national level.

Finally, a word about the fall of the last wicket of Gujarat in the semifinals. Laws of Cricket used to state that a catch is not legal if it is taken after striking the helmet worn by a fielder or wicket keeper. This was changed only in 2017 by ICC who decided that protective helmets are an essential part of the attire of wicket keepers and fielders placed close to the bat and hence catches and stumpings should not be denied solely because the ball has struck one worn by them. This decision was influenced by the unfortunate death of Phil Hughes who collapsed after big struck by a bouncer in Australia and died. The lusty blow struck by Arzan Nagwaswalla would certainly have given Gujarat the couple of runs needed to move into the finals but for the helmet worn by Salman Nisar, standing at forward short leg, coming in the way. Thus, the amended law came to the rescue of Kerala side at a critical juncture.

This victory came on a day when a road in Kasaragode district in Kerala was named after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Speaking on the occasion, Gavaskar observed that he had not received such an honour even in his home state. After hearing about Kerala’s win, the former captain commented “Sunny Days are ahead for Kerala cricket”. One hopes that the words of Gavaskar come true and the days and years ahead turn out to be sunny and rosy ones for Kerala cricket.