Indrajith aware of what lies ahead, but keen on staying in present

Mumbai: For the better part of the past decade, B Indrajith has been the name that does rounds every time an India A or a Duleep Trophy squad was announced. After all, he had been one of the consistent red-ball batters in the country – and the most consistent one from Tamil Nadu.

Numbers say as much – 4155 runs at 62.01 in 53 games since the 2016-17 season. The chances to move up the ranks were not coming for some reason. Last season, however, something changed.

Indrajith, with 767 runs in 13 innings, played a vital part in Tamil Nadu’s Ranji campaign as they reached the semifinal before losing to Mumbai, who went on to win the trophy. By the time the semifinal came along, Indrajith was the talk of the cricketing community. While he did not mind the attention, it also gave him a sense of validation that he must be doing something right.

So, when the Duleep Trophy squads were announced – Indrajith is in Team C – with his name on it, he was not entirely surprised. In fact, he was expecting it and at some level, was already preparing for it.

“Yes, I am excited, but I have been preparing. I was expecting it this time around and I am ready,” Indrajith told.

“More than excitement, I am actually preparing so that I can give myself the best possible chance to perform well,” he added.