It was a proud moment for Angkrish Raghuvanshi as he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai, against Tripura, after being handed the coveted cap by team captain and iconic Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane. Though the 20-year-old scored 28 and 6 in Agartala, he would be looking to take bigger strides when he takes the field for the future games in the first-class circuit. Coming from the stable of Abhishek Nayar, the current India assistant coach, and Omkar Salvi, Raghuvanshi has already made his mark in the Indian Premier League, playing an impactful role for Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning side last season.
The Delhi-born youngster, who amassed 278 runs in six innings in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, had smashed a stellar 27-ball 54 against Delhi Capitals on his IPL debut. As Raghuvanshi, tipped as a prodigal talent, looks to make his mark in red-ball cricket, for the most successful team in the history of Ranji Trophy – Mumbai – the youngster sat for a freewheeling interview with RevSportz. He talked about his first-class debut, the pressure of playing in high-profile games, Abhishek Nayar and Gautam Gambhir’s impact, learning from Mitchell Starc and other senior players, bonding with Phil Salt, playing for KKR in front of a packed Eden Gardens and much more.
Excerpts:
How was the feeling of making your Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai?
Angkrish Raghuvanshi: Very proud feeling. Since I came to Mumbai when I was 12 years old, I have been only training and practicing to improve my game. It was dream come true to represent Mumbai in Ranji Trophy. When I got that cap, and that too from captain and legend Ajinkya Rahane, what could be a better feeling? When I got the cap, it was an overwhelming feeling. But when I went to ground, I was telling myself that it’s just another game. I have to win the match for the team. I have to put in the effort.
You are just 20. How do you deal with the pressure?
Raghuvanshi: The more I practice, and I can tell you my coach Abhishek Nayar has made me practice a lot, the more confidence I get that if I go to the game, I will do well. My goal, whether for Mumbai or for my club, or for my franchise, is always the same –
what the team needs and how I can help the team win, that’s all I usually think about. It’s how I can help the team win. My goal for the Ranji Trophy season is that in every match, how can I contribute so that my team wins.
You mentioned Abhishek Nayar. How did this bond start?
Raghuvanshi: When I was 12 years old, I used to go to his (Abhishek Nayar’s) academy at Wilson College. So that’s when my relationship with him started. The tips he gave me, the things he taught me about the game and life, I found them very helpful. So, whenever I have a tough time or a good time, I share everything with him, and he helps me.
Abhishek Nayar is known to be a hard taskmaster. What about his coaching style, especially with you?
Raghuvanshi: I have undergone some tough training, but I think it was a blessing in disguise because the way he trained me in my childhood, whenever I went to the ground, it felt easy because of his ways of training. Sometimes while doing fitness, I told him stop, sir, stop it. Once he made us climb a 30-floor building through the stairs. He made us run from the 30-floor stairs of his building and said, if you don’t do it on time, you have to do it again. I felt that I was going to die. But I think because of his ways of training, my mental strength and cricket skills have increased. I thank him for that.
Has such rigorous training helped your game?
Raghuvanshi: Obviously, if you make your training hard, like he always tells me, every time you are practicing, get out of your comfort zone. I think if you keep doing that, repeating that, then you always have clarity and confidence in yourself that you can do tougher things. So, no matter who the bowler is or how fast he is bowling, how much the ball is turning, if you have that confidence that you can do hard things, it becomes easier for you.
Mumbai is a cricket-mad city, so is Kolkata. How was it to play in the City of Joy?
Raghuvanshi: I had the best experience in my life in Kolkata, to play under such loving fans. I have very good memories of that city, I feel like all the fans were a family. They were backing us, supporting us, shouting for us, so I enjoyed it a lot.
Abhishek Nayar was in that KKR dressing room, so was your Mumbai senior Shreyas Iyer. Did it help?
Raghuvanshi: Very helpful. I feel that our dressing room was a very comfortable space. Whenever I wanted extra practice or wanted help with something in my game, I could ask without any hesitation. All the seniors and coaches would help me. I feel that when there is such a comfortable space, when you go to play a game, it helps.
KKR last season was such a tight-knit group. Who did you bond the best with?
Raghuvanshi: Phil Salt. I used to have a lot of fun with Phil Salt, the banter he used to bring during games. Even off the field with our football banters. The energy he used to bring, he used to keep the dressing room light and energetic. I felt very good with him.
IPL is where talent meets opportunity. You get to learn from so many seniors. What was your biggest takeaway?
Raghuvanshi: The biggest learning is the way they train, the way they carry themselves, their work ethic. After seeing all this, I felt that wow, if you want to become a legend like them, then you have to have a training and lifestyle like them. So, I learned all this from them.
What about Mitchell Starc – the most expensive player in IPL history so far? Anything you learnt from him?
Raghuvanshi: Yes! Keeping that focus is very important. I also went with the expectation that Mitchell Starc is the best bowler in the world, and when I saw his mannerisms, I understood why he is the best bowler in the world. His work ethic, the way he carries himself off the field, always thinking about his cricket, in the gym, mobility, nutrition, he used to practice with so much purpose. If I also want to become a legend like him in the future, then I will have to improve my work ethic. This is a very good lesson for me. If I want to become a legend, if I want to play with them, if I want to become better than them, then I will have to train harder than them.
Gautam Gambhir played a huge role in KKR’s title-winning season. What sort of discussions did you have with him?
Raghuvanshi: We, with Gautam sir, used to just talk about cricket, how can we win the next match, what are the weak points of the other team, how can we improve ourselves, so that we can defeat the other team. He used to tell us that whenever you go to play a match, think about how you can defeat the other team, and how you can keep your game at the best level. In his meetings, in his speeches, his intensity was always on this, to make your team win.
Who is your cricketing idol?
Raghuvanshi: My idol, growing up, it’s always been AB De Villiers, but now I like Shubman Gill’s batting.
Your playing style does resemble Gill. Why him as your current idol?
Raghuvanshi: This is a good question, because when I was a kid, Shubman used to come to Mumbai to practice in the KKR academy. When I used to see him, I used to think, ‘Wow! this guy has so much time against the fast bowlers. If I can emulate his batting, I can try to bat like him. I used to think, I have to bat like him, and if it was Shubman, what would he do?’ So, I think those similarities are visible because of this. Even now, you all know, he is one of the top batsmen in India.
Hopefully, one day, I can play with him. He is my idol because I watched him so much growing up. I know how hard he works, and I would like to be like him.
What is your dream?
Raghuvanshi: To win trophies for India.
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