‘There are missing puzzles,’ says Sai Kishore, the latest Ranji skipper in Tamil Nadu’s captaincy musical chairs

Despite their lack of bowling depth, they came close to winning two matches before weather played a spoilsport. Against Andhra, they lost a game that was in their pocket. And after losing first-innings lead to Mumbai and Maharashtra, they are already out of reckoning for quarterfinals berth with two more rounds to play. Winless in five matches will make for a grim reading, but it is a tournament where with each outing they were taking a step forward. With a thin bowling resource, struggling for a third seamer and without an off spinner, they were always going to struggle. So it was all about maximising the resources on the given conditions. And in those games, they definitely did that – even making a good fight back against Mumbai. At all times, they looked every bit taking the game forward, with an eye on getting an outright result.

Moreover, for a change, the team was gelling well. After a long time, Tamil Nadu now has a team that likes to sit as a group and share the success and failures. And even when the selectors were making a key change with an eye on the future, it came as a total surprise to everyone in the team. Indrajith has been their best batter over the last four seasons, but ever since the tournament began his onfield tactics have found little takers – outside the team with people in power; he had the team’s full backing.

After the game against Mumbai, the short-ball tactic – one which got the team rewards against Hyderabad, Andhra, Delhi – was questioned. And so was the decision to hand the ball to left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram late into the match against Maharashtra. But more than that, the decision to play him on a pitch that usually doesn’t take a turn itself came as a surprise in first place.

And five matches into the season, Tamil Nadu have decided to course correct by handing over the responsibility to Sai Kishore. The 26-year-old has the potential to play for the national side, but he himself is at a stage of his career where he is still developing. Moreover, he has never captained at any age-group level so there is a novelty factor to it.

“I did not expect the captaincy,” Sai Kishore said on the eve of Tamil Nadu’s match against Assam at MA Chidambaram Stadium. “As a player, I play for the team and I’ve tried to be a leader for my side while batting or bowling. This is a good chance to take the team forward and the added responsibility is good. As a team, we have a good rapport and there is no ego between the players. It will be exciting to lead a side. I think we have worked hard as a team but the results haven’t come our way,” he added.

The captaincy switch seems to be the first of many in store. Although Tamil Nadu has made rapid strides in white-ball cricket, the story is different in Ranji Trophy. Sans a good pace bowling unit and an off-spinner, Tamil Nadu have not been unable to close down the opposition as much as they would have liked. And within TNCA there talks having a five-year plan in place, with the Cricket Advisory Committee already entrusted with the responsibility. So without addressing those concerns, changing the captain looks an easy way out.

Sai Kishore too admitted the bowling unit has to pull up its socks, especially when it comes to closing out the game. “As a bowling unit, we have not delivered during crucial moments. We have not closed out innings. We have to work on that.  It is about winning those moments. We could have been better. We need another bowler who can step up. We need an off-spinner who can bat. When Ashwin anna or Washington are not there, we need another off-spinner. All the teams that have done well in Ranji have had an off-spinner. Those are the missing puzzles and when you get those, it is almost solved. We are close.”