Parthiv hops into the limelight

Parthiv’s 51 in the semi-final and his 102-run partnership with another forgotten prodigy, Suresh Raina (55), meant that the second semi-final too was a damp squib. The Chennai Super Kings recorded a nine-wicket win over favourites Kings XI Punjab and will now meet Rajasthan Royals for the title on Sunday. Though Raina, with his big hitting in the final over, raced past Parthiv, it was the wicket-keeping batsman who had made the dicey prospect of chasing the not-too-big, not-too-small total of 113 easy by digging deep in the initial overs.

Out of obscurity

With his team Gujarat relegated to the plate division of the Ranji Trophy, Patel has been living a life of obscurity. While on his travels in the interiors of the country, playing at not-too-famous grounds, he would speak about the challenges of keeping a positive mind-frame. The boy who had seen posh hotels and packed stands early in life was now playing to an audience of a few passersby who would wander to the ground.

But the quantum of runs meant he was part of the zonal team and India A tours and whenever he got the opportunity, the runs would flow. But his 100s and several 50s would get overshadowed on sports pages dominated by coverage of international cricket.

Such was his form that even the selectors felt helpless leaving him out of the India squad that now had a wicket-keeping captain. Just after announcing the team for the Australian tour, chairman of national selectors Dilip Vengsarkar called Parthiv to inform him that his runs weren’t going unnoticed.

The regulars on the domestic circuit spoke about the new-improved Parthiv. During his stint with the Indian team, Parthiv was a batsman with limited strokes. Now he was an opener whose range was wider. He was no longer the nudger and pusher but a free-flowing batsman with a wagon-wheel full of spokes. Though selectors have reservations about T20 performances, in Parthiv’s case the IPL was a highlights package of innings he has been playing away from the cameras in front of empty stands.

Raina too had a few points to prove and the IPL provided him a platform to do so. The left-hander, who lost his place in the national side because of a string of 20s and 30s too has changed a few opinions. His 55 not out from 34 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes means he, like Parthiv, is proving that he too wasn’t wrongly labeled as a prodigy. After being on drinks duty all through the tri-series in Australia, today’s knock might well see MS Dhoni do a rethink.

Ironically, for Parthiv, playing XI dreams remain far off. With Dhoni behind the stumps, Parthiv knows it will be some time before he gets to stand with a bat in hand in front of the stumps.