The Maharaja Trophy, a KSCA-run T20 tournament, has always been about unearthing new talents. This year hasn’t been any different either. The likes of Abilash Shetty, M Taha, Hardik Raj, LR Kumar, R Smaran, Manvanth Kumar and Co have showcased glimpses of their potential. Rohan Patil, the opening batter for Gulbarga Mystics and now Mangaluru Dragons, has been one of them. Over a period of time, he has given a fine exhibition of stroke-play, especially during the 2022 season, where he ended up with impressive numbers – 397 runs at a strike-rate of just over 166.
However, it is generally the next season where a cricketer comes under the scanner. Analysts and coaches would pore through various videos to explore every nook and cranny of a cricketer’s game. Something similar happened with Rohan. In his second Maharaja T20 season, he could aggregate only 213 runs.
Here is what he told RevSportz: “We had two years of (Covid-19) and lockdown. Those two years, we couldn’t play many matches. First, we had U-19 zonals, where I got 200 in the first match and from there on, again lockdown started. I also did well in the YSR tournament and then I got into KPL. It was a very good season for me. From there on, we went to Chhattisgarh and I got some runs.
“After that, I played very few matches. I didn’t know what I should change in my batting. Next year, I observed that everybody had worked on my weakness. Most of the time, I got out in a similar manner, while trying to score on the leg-side. I worked on my game, I shouldn’t play these types of shots, I should play more in the ‘V’ and through the off-side. Not much on the leg-side. This year, it is coming out well. I am playing according (to the merit) of the ball, not just legside. I started doing diet, fitness and all. I started avoiding junk foods and sugar.”
That is about Rohan, the batter. Let’s also delve a little more about his family and how they have acted as a pillar of strength to Rohan’s professional career. “I started playing cricket when I was seven or eight years old. At the time, I didn’t exactly know what cricket was. My father got me into this game, and my family has been supporting me. From Davanagere, we moved to Bengaluru because of my cricket career,” he pointed out.
Rohan also has something to say about his maiden ton in the KPL. Hidden beneath that hundred is a sweet memory. “My first hundred against Mysuru, it was an unforgettable memory. I dedicated it to my sister because of Rakshabandhan.”
Only time will tell if Rohan would end up playing in the higher echelons of the game. But when he talks about his dreams, his eyes twinkle. “When I used to watch Rahul Dravid bat, I would think, ‘I have to play this type of cricket’. At the time, I didn’t have much idea about cricket. I used to watch Dravid’s batting and MS Dhoni’s batting a lot. My dream was to play for India with Dravid and Dhoni. But that couldn’t happen as I was too young. I want to play for India,” he observed.