Mohamed Enaan’s consistent performances have earned him a place in the U-19 World Cup squad. The leg-spinner from Thrissur replaced Naman Pushpak, who was part of the Asia Cup squad. At just 19, Enaan is beginning to carve out a name for himself in Indian cricket. His inclusion will add flexibility to the U-19 team, given his potential with the bat as well.
Enaan’s career so far has been built on patience, planning and timely decisions, according to Dinesh Gopalakrishnan, his long-time coach, who first met the young cricketer when he was just 11 years old. In a conversation with RevSportz, Dinesh said, “I actually started coaching Enaan when he was around 11. At that time, his parents had taken an early decision that he should play for Kerala, even though they were settled in Sharjah.”
Enaan had come to Kerala for the Under-14 state selection process, which in those days stretched for over a month. With his parents unable to stay back because of work commitments in Sharjah, Enaan’s grandparents looked after him during that period.
“They were searching for an academy randomly, and fortunately our academy, Atreya Cricket Academy, was nearby,” said Dinesh. That’s how he came to me.”
He added, “What followed was a turning point in Enaan’s career. He told his parents that instead of going back to Sharjah, he wanted to continue training here. They agreed and let him stay back for that season.”
Enaan went on to represent Kerala Under-14 that year, after which his mother and siblings shifted permanently to Kerala, renting a house near the academy. For nearly seven years, Enaan trained under Dinesh, progressing steadily through the age groups.
“From the beginning, Enaan stood out,” said Dinesh. “He was very good at bowling leg-spin. His wrist-spin was accurate and he had a good googly.”
Interestingly, Enaan did not begin as a leg-spinner. Like most young boys, he started as a medium-pacer, Later, during a camp in Dubai which was attended by former Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, Enaan shifted to leg-spin.
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The early years were not filled with headline performances. “If you look at his Under-14 and early Under-16 records, he didn’t have big numbers,” said Dinesh. “But we were working with a clear plan, especially for red-ball cricket and multi-day matches.”
That planning paid off during his final Under-16 season. Enaan emerged as one of the leading wicket-takers in the Vijay Merchant Trophy. He took over 30 wickets and was among the highest wicket-takers in the competition. The performance did not go unnoticed and he was soon summoned to the National Cricket Academy.
“Once at the NCA, Enaan came under the watch of national selectors and coaches like Rahul Dravid and, later, VVS Laxman,” added Dinesh. “They were very impressed with him. Whenever he came back from the NCA, we continued working on his game.
“Like every young Indian cricketer, Enaan admired Sachin Tendulkar. Later, he became a big fan of Rashid Khan.” He also benefited from strong backing within Kerala cricket. Senior players like Sachin Baby, Vishnu Vinod and Ashwin Das spent time motivating him, while Kerala selectors gave him exposure at a very young age.”
Dinesh also credits Sanju Samson for playing a key role. “Sanju openly spoke about Enaan in interviews and backed him strongly,” said Dinesh. “He even helped him get sponsorships with SG and Puma. That kind of support means a lot at this age.”
Before Enaan left for the Under-19 World Cup preparations, his coach gave him one clear message.
“I told him not to get carried away by social media or publicity,” said Dinesh. “Getting selected is not enough. Performing is what matters. He promised me he would stay focused.”
For Dinesh Gopalakrishnan, Enaan’s journey is proof that when talent meets planning, support and patience, everything can fall into place at the right time.
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