WITH DREAMS IN THEIR EYES

Gyaneshwar Rao19, AndhraBEING former India cricketer Venugopal Rao8217;s brother has already given young Gyaneshwar a good idea of the ups ...

Gyaneshwar Rao
19, Andhra
BEING former India cricketer Venugopal Rao8217;s brother has already given young Gyaneshwar a good idea of the ups and downs that Indian cricket provides. This year, Gyaneshwar begins the most important cycle of his career as he has been touted as the backbone of Andhra8217;s batting. About the season ahead he says: 8220;We have lost a couple of good players. Syed Shahabuddin switched to ICL and Venugopal moved to Maharashtra. So there will be added responsibility. It is also a good time to ensure that I can get some big scores out in the middle and help my team.8221;

KP Appanna
18, Karnataka
ASK Anil Kumble to talk about young left-arm spinner KP Appanna and he can8217;t stop raving. 8220;It8217;s a pity that he might not play the match against Mumbai because of me and Sunil Joshi in the side,8221; he says. The 18-year-old has been hailed among the best spin talents unearthed over the last one year 8212; his tour of Sri Lanka with the India under-19 team fetching him 21 wickets in six matches. 8220;He8217;s got a classical action and is very good. I hope this season turns out well for him,8221; says Kumble. Appanna himself isn8217;t really flustered that he might not find a place in the team initially because of the veteran leggie. 8220;I have time on hand and this is really a learning process for me,8221; he says.

Dharaka Ravi Teja
20, Hyderabad
HYDERABAD has been the biggest loser as far as players defecting to the Indian Cricket League are concerned. With nine of them having switched loyalties, the responsibility on D Ravi Teja has doubled. 8220;I know that there8217;s added responsibility on us. Most of the players are new-comers. But I believe this should spur us to do well,8221; he says. Teja was born in a cricketing family, having learnt the early nuances of the game from his father. He hails from the coastal town of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and is eager to make it big.

Harshad Khadiwale
19, Maharashtra
HAVING impressed as an under-19 cricketer and last year when he made his Ranji debut, Khadiwale has been in focus mainly because of the maturity he has shown batting at the top of the order against quality attacks. From five matches last season, he collected 198 runs. This year, says Khadiwale, he has a target in mind. 8220;I will be focused on staying at the crease. Ranji is a great occasion to bat for long hours, get into the rhythm and come up with good scores. That is what I will be looking at,8221; he says.

Wriddhiman Saha
23, Bengal
WITH former Test stumper Deep Dasgupta joining ICL, Wriddhiman Saha finally gets the break. Having made his mark in the under-19 and under-22 Bengal circuit, Saha is the fittest player in the squad. The Siliguri-based boy has proved at the junior level that he can open the innings too. For a player who has impressed through every junior circuit, including performing from whatever little chances he was given in the Ranji Trophy one-dayers last season, Wriddhiman is surely the 8216;keeper to watch out for this season.