 A star in the making
R Sathish, 25, is a cricket star in the making. He proved his very special qualities of head and heart with a fighting display in the final of the Mumbai Cricket Association Corporate Shield at the Wankhede Stadium last Sunday, taking his team to a convincing title victory worth Rs 3.5 lakh in prize money. According to the newspapers, Sathish was hit on his left toes by the first ball he faced, with the team's total reading 70 for 5. Sathish went on to make 89 unbeaten runs in just 89 deliveries, hobbling on one foot and with the aid of a runner. Until the last ball of the innings, that is, when he was hit a blow on the other foot!
In an earlier round, Sathish had scored a quickfire 62 and taken three wickets with his accurate medium pace, before an ankle injury forced him to concentrate on his batting for the rest of the tournament.
This Trichy-born youngster who lost his father, Major R Rajagopalan, when he was barely six, did his schooling and engineering degree in Trichy, where he started making a mark as a cricketer from the under-13 level onwards. At the under-19 level, he played for the South Zone and went on to represent the state in under-22 cricket as well. Noticed by the India Pistons team management in a local tournament when he led Districts to victory, he came to play for that team in the Chennai league some six years ago.
Consistent performances in the local league and age-group matches did not make Sathish a permanent fixture in the Tamil Nadu team in the Ranji Trophy, so he sought refuge in Assam, where his best performance was an unbeaten 204 against Tamil Nadu! Emboldened by this success and being selected for East Zone in the Duleep and Deodhar Trophies, Satish came back and made himself available for Tamil Nadu in the national championship this season. He did not get selected for the playing eleven until the sixth match of the season, after which he was once again dropped. Three explosive innings of 146, 146 and 161 in consecutive matches in the VAP Memorial Trophy for Chemplast failed to earn him a batting place above No 7 in the Tamil Nadu team in the Ranji One-Day Trophy matches. Failing in the final of the VAP Trophy, Sathish was determined to win the Corporate Trophy for his team, which he did in style.
More than his efficient, commonsensical yet aggressive batting and economical bowling, his fielding has caught the eye of the discerning spectator. At point, Sathish is peerless in Tamil Nadu cricket and many observers have rated his athleticism and anticipation in the field higher than the fielding ability of Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh. This young man is a genuine all-rounder in one-day cricket and deserves a better deal from his own state, if he is to get opportunities at the national level.
V Ramnarayan
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