Exclusive! Abhinav Tejrana - The Delhi boy ignored by DDCA is making waves for Goa

New Delhi: A ‘Tejrana’ from Delhi plying his commercialized for Goa successful the Ranji Trophy seems bizarre."I americium not playing arsenic a nonrecreational for Goa. I americium a local," Abhinav Tejrana clarifies successful a freewheeling chat with TimesofIndia.com from Porvorim.

The 24-year-old top-order batter has acceptable the Ranji Trophy connected fire. Batting astatine No. 3 for Goa, the Delhi-born cricketer has amassed 651 runs successful 8 innings, including a treble period connected his first-class debut against Chandigarh. He has besides smashed 2 centuries against Punjab and Saurashtra, and not to hide his match-saving unbeaten 73 against Karnataka.

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Abhinav, who has played U-19 cricket for Delhi, was fixed the acold enarthrosis by the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) selectors.

The thought of quitting the crippled initially crossed Abhinav's caput successful 2021, but his begetter Anil Kumar, a Delhi Government employee, enactment his limb astir his son's enarthrosis and said: "There's ever a grin connected your look whenever you prime up a bat. Never suffer that, support believing."Tejrana vividly recollects the proposal helium received from his father, and successful 2022, helium decided to determination to Goa to instrumentality attraction of a "guest house"—a spot his begetter had invested successful years ago—and besides successful a quest to find a 2nd home.

"Actually, I wasn't playing for 2–3 years successful Delhi. I past played successful under-19. And past for 2 years, I didn't play for DDCA. So I decided to shift. I had immoderate concern successful Goa and residence here, truthful it benignant of made my determination easier," shares Abhinav."I started playing the section tournaments and leagues successful Goa. From determination onwards, I started giving trials for the Goa Cricket Association (GCA). Then I played under-23 past play and was besides successful the Ranji Trophy camp.

This year, finally, I made my Ranji Trophy debut," helium says.

Abhinav recovered his 2nd location successful Goa, but it came astatine an affectional cost."I americium playing arsenic a section here. My begetter works successful the Delhi government, truthful helium is based successful New Delhi. My sisters and astir of my household unrecorded successful Delhi. My parent decided to enactment with me," says an affectional Abhinav."I had a batch of radical to enactment me. My household ever believed successful me, encouraged maine to support going.

They ever believed successful my potential."In the archetypal days successful Goa, galore section radical besides backed me. So I kept going on. It is ever pugnacious to enactment hard erstwhile you don't cognize whether it is going to hap oregon not. But it is important to support going and person that faith," helium says.I person ever felt astatine location present successful Goa, and astir of the recognition goes to the GCA. They person helped maine a batch The religion decidedly worked wonders for Tejrana arsenic helium not lone recovered a location successful Goa but his exploits person besides helped Goa punch supra their weight."I person ever felt astatine location present successful Goa, and astir of the recognition goes to the GCA. They person helped maine a lot. Chetan Desai sir, Vinod Phadke sir, who are the chiefs successful Goa, the caput Tulsidas (Shetye) sir and President Mahesh Desai sir, they person each backed me. And erstwhile I wasn't getting the opportunities, Vipul Phadke sir besides encouraged maine successful my debased times. Head manager Milap Mewada—how tin I hide his name. I truly privation to convey each of them," Tejrana shows his gratitude.

No. 3 successful first-class cricket is astir apt the astir important fig to bat at, and the southpaw eased into the relation seamlessly."Actually, successful red-ball cricket, the apical 3 batters are mostly openers. In white-ball cricket, I don't cognize yet wherever I would bat. But I deliberation increasing up, I person played successful astir of the numbers. It's not similar I person ever opened. I person acquisition of playing successful the mediate bid arsenic well," helium says.Talking astir the season, the youngster, who volition crook 25 successful a month's time, rates his treble 100 connected Ranji debut arsenic precise special."I deliberation the archetypal 1 was important due to the fact that it gave america a bully people connected the board. And we were 3 down for 115. Then maine and Lalit (Yadav) bhai had a 309-run partnership. That was precise important for the squad to person 7 points successful the archetypal game."And aft that, I deliberation against Karnataka successful Shimoga, they were going for the outright win. So we had to play successful pugnacious conditions. The shot was doing a lot. So to play those 46 overs retired was adjuvant for the team.

So those 2 were, I would say, adjuvant for the squad to get immoderate points," helium says.Reflecting connected the grind helium went done aft moving to Goa, helium believes it made him a pugnacious cookie."I deliberation it made maine much of a implicit player. I americium inactive successful the process, arsenic determination is simply a batch to learn. But I deliberation having this acquisition of playing these matches was a spot caller to me. But gradually playing successful the Goa Premier League Division gave maine a batch of experience.

And the setup that the relation has is truly nice," helium says.

"We person a red-ball campy for 2–3 weeks, and I got to hole precise good for the reddish ball. So I didn't look immoderate issues due to the fact that I person been playing red-ball cricket for the past 3 months now. That helped maine a lot," helium adds.Goa is not known for cricket; it has a affluent past successful football. But Abhinav feels things are changing."Currently the excavation of cricketers successful Goa is not that big. But I deliberation the mode the leagues are conducted, they are acold better.

Because I person ne'er played a three-day lucifer successful the Delhi leagues. There are nary days matches there. So the benignant of tourney that they behaviour present successful Goa, I think, is overmuch better. The operation of leagues and trials and camps—I deliberation they person a operation that is much player-friendly. And surely you volition spot much young guys astatine under-19 level coming done the ranks due to the fact that they person specified a operation that is bound to amended players and nutrient prime players," helium says.

Abhinav's eyes are acceptable connected the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and helium wants to proceed playing cricket with a grin connected his face, arsenic helium promised his begetter a mates of years ago."I deliberation I person ever played cricket to enjoy. That is the astir important thing. And that's what my begetter says to me. And that is my extremity ultimately—to bask erstwhile I americium playing connected the field. I don't deliberation that overmuch astir the runs, the performances. I person a crippled program which I follow, and adjacent if I get retired executing my plans, I don't caput it," helium says.