Koushik Vasuki Exclusive: ‘Quite Emotional But Felt I Should Leave Karnataka on a High’

Earlier this year, on July 1, 2025, Karnataka’s senior-most pacer Koushik Vauski shocked one and all, announcing his move away from the state to Goa. In the previous seven years, Koushik was a key member of Karnataka’s multiple successful squads, with a trophy in almost every competition that he played in, including the Duleep Trophy. 

Koushik scalped 93 wickets in his 23 first-class games, averaging 17.4 with the ball. Like red-ball cricket, the 32-year-old was also good in T20s, where he picked up 48 wickets @ 21.4. 

Not to forget, the now 32-year-old played a vital role in Karnataka lifting the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2024/25 season, where he picked up 18 wickets. Despite the stellar record with Karnataka, why did he choose to move away from the state?

In a freewheeling chat with Cricket.com, Koushik opens up about the move and everything that has panned out in his cricketing career thus far, including his regrets of not playing at the IPL level. 

Q) July 1, 2025, you put a long post on Instagram thanking Karnataka cricket. Could you just talk about your emotions while you were posting this?

It was quite emotional because I made my debut in 2018-19 for Karnataka, and after seven years with any team, you will feel emotionally attached. Leaving such a big state and making this decision was quite emotional and difficult, but somewhere, I thought that it was the right time to move because I'm 32 now.

It felt like it was the right time. It took me over two months to decide whether to move because I had done well last year and was Karnataka’s highest wicket-taker in two formats. But somewhere, I felt I should go on a high.

Q) Can you recall that moment which made you contemplate your Karnataka future? 

Probably at the end of the season somewhere. I didn't know whether I could continue here because Karnataka is a juggernaut side in domestic cricket. But the workload is intense, and playing for such a big state can take a toll on your body. I played all the formats last year, and hardly got a break. 

That was one of the reasons. Selectors prefer bowlers who are 22, 23 or max 29. I am 32 now, and I will be 33 next year. I feared that I would be overlooked in the future. It was just a personal decision of mine to move out of Karnataka. 

Since I’m not getting a selection above Karnataka, I missed out on Duleep Trophy selection. Somewhere inside, I felt a move away would be best to prolong my domestic career. With younger talents in the system, I felt it was the ideal time to move away. 

Q) You had several ups and downs with the Karnataka side. Could you just talk about them to us?

Ups, surely the Ranji Trophy debut. I had a lovely debut against Tamil Nadu (2/59). In my first three white-ball tournaments with Karnataka, we were champions.

That was quite memorable, and probably my best moment with Karnataka. Then I had a low post-COVID when I had a shoulder injury, and I was not even in the state probables; I was not even in the top 30. That was one of the lows I had with Karnataka. Then, post-2022, I made a strong comeback to the Karnataka team and led the bowling attack.

So, yeah, it was quite a roller coaster with the Karnataka team. My biggest regret was not winning the Ranji Trophy.

We came close in 2022, playing the semi-finals. The other two years were not up to the mark. But had a good time in the white ball format as well for Karnataka. In the first two years, I was one of the highest wicket-takers, including in T20s. In my first tournament, I led the wicket-taking charts. Winning the trophy as well was the icing on the cake. To sum it up, it was a memorable run. 

Q) Why Goa? What transpired to make you switch to Goa?

I had a couple of states in mind to move to.

I knew a few players in Goa. So, I talked with them post-season. Goa is now playing in the Elite section of the Ranji Trophy, and I wanted to continue playing at the elite level. I had a few offers from other states. 

Chhattisgarh was also looking for a fast bowler. The negotiations paused, so Goa was a natural destination because it is close to Karnataka, and I knew a few players. We played in the South Zone together, and their bowling coach is Dodda Ganesh sir.

Our [Goa] strength and conditioning coach is KC Avinash. He has played for Karnataka before. So, quite familiar faces. I felt moving to Goa would make me more comfortable. 

Q) You topped wicket-taking charts for Karnataka multiple times in Vijay Hazare Trophy, do you regret not getting a chance to don the Indian blues?

Growing up the ladder, as a professional athlete, you always dream of playing for the country. I feel I missed out on that chance to play for India. I have been the highest wicket-taker for Karnataka across the last three campaigns in the 50-over format. I should have gotten one opportunity, at least for my consistency. 

I might fail in the next level, but I never got that opportunity. The only one I got was playing the Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy. I did well in both tournaments and picked up a five-wicket haul for the South Zone last year, where we won the competition. 

I wish I had at least some opportunity at a higher level, even if it was India A, or other white-ball tournaments where selectors are watching. I wish I had those opportunities in my life. 

Q) Now, about Karnataka, what do you think went wrong for the state in their pursuit of the Ranji Trophy? 

The Ranji Trophy is a long tournament. You need many things to come good over 2-3 months to win it. We [Karnataka] had a good chance in 2019 and 2022 to win the competition. But these matches boil down to moments, and we couldn’t win those moments. 

In 2019, we had the best chance to win against Bengal, but we missed out due to our batting. We had all the superstars of Karnataka playing that game, but we couldn’t do well. One good spell from Mukesh Kumar (Bengal) saw them win. 

In 2022, too, we missed a few catches in the semi-final, which changed the momentum. We scored around 400 in the first innings and were positive. Kudos to Saurashtra; they had a good team and were dominant in that period. 

Those are the biggest regrets. Coming so close, and our bowling unit was doing really well. Vyshak, Vidwath and I were together, along with M. Venkatesh and Prasidh, playing whenever he’s available. We had a strong bowling unit. Probably, spinners were a little young. As a collective team, we couldn’t capitalise on the crucial moments like the semi-finals.

Q) You are moving away from Karnataka, could you talk about the fast-bowling stocks in the state at the moment? Some names for us to keep an eye on? 

Many young fast bowlers are doing well in the Maharaja T20 Trophy. I would pick Abhilash Shetty as the next bowling star from Karnataka. Vidyadhar Patil is there as well, and he made a strong comeback last year.

From the under-19s and under-23s, Samarth Nagraj is a good pick. Dhanush Gowda, too, is a very tall and lanky pacer who has that X-factor. Hopefully, more matches at the age-group level will give them good confidence before the Ranji Trophy. 

Q) Is pace everything for fast bowlers in domestic cricket? What would you advise youngsters who can’t bowl those 140 kmphs? 

At the domestic level, pace isn’t everything. But that doesn’t mean you bowl less than 120 kmph. With that, there are a lot of other aspects of fast bowling where you hit the seam, get the seam moment, and use the condition well. If you are good with the old ball, you can reverse it as well. 

Many aspects of fast bowling will help youngsters grow. But you will have to master them, and it takes time, so you have to concentrate on hitting the right lengths and using the conditions in front of you. You have to understand those factors if you are a budding fast bowler. 

Q) Mayank Agarwal is 34; he’s still in the best shape of his life, but if you have to look at future captaincy options for Karnataka, who would they be? 

Among the current batch, Devdutt Padikkal is one of the sharpest minds in the field with his cricketing ethics and how he plays the game. With a sharp mind, he will be one of the future candidates for that captaincy role. 

Probably, Smaran as well. Smaran, obviously, will have a greater role going forward. He’s quite sharp with the way he speaks on the field. He will be one of the candidates. He’s doing really well for the Mystics this year. We had Nikin Jose captain Karnataka, so he’s also one of the candidates for that full-time role. 

Vyshak, too, is an option. I feel he’s a candidate who adds layers to his game when tasked with responsibility. He has already shown that maturity this year, leading the Mystics well. He will be interested in that role, but again, it is down to the selectors. 

Q) Last year, BCCI introduced a split domestic season, where the red-ball competition was played in two halves. Is it a boon or a bane for the pacers?

Again, I have a mixed answer because the split domestic season was introduced last year. It took a lot of toll on the body; you play five Ranji Trophy games and then harsh tournaments such as SMAT and VHT, which takes a toll on the body because of the number of games and the nature of the format. 

The T20s are as good as you play one complete session of Ranji Trophy, where you put in a lot of effort within those four overs, bowling those yorkers, the bouncers, whatever the variations you have. 

Even in the previous format, it all boiled down to how you took care of the body. But here, the only thing is that the format keeps changing. You play one month of red-ball cricket, and within a week, you are playing T20s before switching to ODIs. 

So, there will be a lot of planning behind that. A lot of changes you have to make in your bowling as well. Those are those minute things.

Q) You had multiple trials at the IPL level, did you get to hear from the franchises on what went wrong and what you have to improve in your game?

I never got a proper answer from any of the IPL franchises. Whoever rejected me, as my name did not even end on the IPL auction final list. I attended a couple of trials and have done well with them. That, combined with my domestic performances, I feel like I had a chance to get an IPL contract. 

Few speak about my T20 records. But in my first two years with Karnataka, I had done well in T20 as well. I was one of the highest wicket-takers in the country. I really don’t have an answer for why I wasn’t picked. 

But my question was, at least for my consistency, I would have been exposed in a season or so if I wasn’t good. I did well for 3-4 years; there should have been something that gave me success, right? Guys like Sandeep Sharma, Deepak Chahar, who bowl similar pace, get picked, why not me? 

These questions keep cropping up in my head. If they can do it, I can do it as well. I did really well in SMAT as well. I wish I had got a couple of chances in the IPL. Going there and failing is a different thing. Without getting a chance, people just talk, 'He can't do it, he can't do there, he can't bowl here, he can't bowl there.'

Q) From your full-time position at Amazon India to now, a seven-year cricketing career with Karnataka, could you just talk about the entire journey? 

Have to thank my stars for that; a few things worked out well. When I was 21, I had an engineering degree, and since then, I have been thinking about playing cricket. I took a year break to pursue cricket, and it clicked quite nicely for me. 

I did well in zonals, inter-zonals and was picked for the U-23 team (Karnataka A then). Because of cricket, I got a government job in Central Excise and Customs through sports quota, after I left Amazon. 

From there, my focus was completely on cricket. Since I had a government job, I got time to practise, and the passion for playing the sport was always there. I got a break in Karnataka’s side when I was 26, and since then, cricket has been the only thing in my life.