OPINION
Follow UsEven though the projected TRP took a slight hit in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League, for the stakeholders of the Indian cricket, it was just another reason to lap into the beauty of T20 cricket - a format that keeps on giving. It was a season of many firsts, and indeed, a season of hope that, thanks to a bigger pool of players, added an aura to maximize the internal brand of IPL. Externally, it was always a money-minting machine.
If Hardik Pandya’s band of boys navigating the chartered waters and taking down the whole thing was a story in itself, especially counting for the fact that no one had given them any chance, then the rise of many uncapped players further added to the large base on which Indian cricket is taking pride now.
Even if it has gone slightly unnoticed, one state that has slowly staked claim to having a pool of players challenging the oligarch of Mumbai, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, is Madhya Pradesh. Simply because of the new-age players finding their feet in the IPL milieu. Be it Avesh Khan’s burning yorkers to Venkatesh Iyer’s finishing touches, be it Rajat Patidar slamming the Lucknow bowlers to submission to Kuldeep Sen being a true Royal in the Royals camp, Madhya Pradesh’s profile has moved fast from the days of Jayprakash Yadav and Amay Khurasiya being journeymen in Indian cricket.
In 2015, when Rajat Patidar made his Ranji Trophy debut, the correctness with which he batted was a marvel. Slowly and steadily he rose to become a consistent run-maker in the shortest version as well - a version that none of the Lucknow bowlers would ever forget after the scathing they received in the recently-concluded IPL. Not only did he own the stage single-handedly, but also became RCB’s most-impactful batter for two consecutive knock-out games. Added to the squad as an injury replacement for Luvnith Sisodia, Patidar finished as the third-highest run-getter for Bangalore in the season while playing only seven knocks. He averaged better than the hallowed troika of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell while scoring at a better rate than the first two.
Kumar Kartikeya Singh was drafted into the Mumbai squad as a replacement for the injured Arshad Khan, another left-arm spinner from Madhya Pradesh, who was yet to get a game. Kartikeya, originally from Uttar Pradesh, had to see difficult days in order to achieve his dream of being a professional cricketer, and the moment, he had the ball in his hand, the magic happened. In four matches he played this season, he had wickets in all but one game and finished as a shining light in an otherwise forgettable campaign.
The story of Kuldeep Sen was no different. Despite the presence of Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep held his own in the Royals camp to emerge as a star. Until Oben McCoy found his grove, Kuldeep was the designated death bowler in the side who stood tall in the last over against Marcus Stoinis in Match 20 of IPL 2022 when others, more experienced around him, faced the wrath of the burly Australian. The success of Sen provided them with the flexibility to try an extra overseas batter in their batting line-up, a luxury not many sides in the season were able to afford.
The story of these three players is an addition to the success of Avesh Khan and Venkatesh Iyer who are now frequent members of the Indian squad. That players like these can come and directly feel home is a proper case study of infrastructural development marrying the aspirations to yield astounding success. Beneath the rise lies a cultural manifestation of what Madhya Pradesh always stands for - the gentle pace of life coupled with the ability to grab it all with both hands.
In the literal sense, Madhya Pradesh has been an architectural wonder. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments and the Great Stupa in Sanchi have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. It is also a state that encourages its poets and creators abundantly. It is home to ancient India's greatest poet and playwright Kalidasa and the great musician of the Mughal court, Tansen. In modern times, you have the tunes of Rahat Indori plummeting from every nook and cranny of the Indore city. You needed a pause, you’d indeed get it.
While the rustic charm of Indore’s very own Bhai - Zakir Khan - was taking the audience for a ride through his verses and jokes in the auditoriums around the world, at the same time, the likes of Avesh, Venkatesh, Kuldeep Sen, Rajat Patidar, and Kumar Kartikeya were making deep strides on the field in the IPL. And all five of them were the performers for their team and in all probability, will be retained for the upcoming season as well.
Then what has changed? As cliched as it may sound, a structural overall and strategic change at the ground level yielded the outcome. Just like Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) made a number of right calls to change the outcome. Starting from establishing turf wickets in every district to ramping up the number of camps that were being conducted to ensuring talented cricketers get a go at the academy in Indore, the change was systematic and encouraging.
Speaking to Cricket.com, Avesh Khan attributed the growth to MPCA’s vision and ground-level work to grow its talents. While natural talent is a definite thing, honing the skill requires infrastructure, and the same is supported by Devendra Bundela, one of the most recognized names to have come out of Madhya Pradesh. Bundela believes that the way the association supported the players and brought in able support staff to match the quality resulted in the not-only-symbolic transformation. It must be noted that Madhya Pradesh hired Chandrakant Pandit, the former Mumbai coach, who brought in a revolution in Vidarbha cricket with his unique style.
Many players and administrators underline the fact that in MP Cricket, the clouts of the administrators have no bearing on the real cricketing matters, and the coaches and captain are given full ownership of the decisions they make. It was a huge positive for them to support talented players, and in turn, add a new level of authenticity to the process.
But then things don’t become rosy overnight. For all the success in being a pipeline to the IPL teams, Madhya Pradesh Cricket is still in need of a big breakthrough. If anything, this is just the beginning of a journey that needs a lot of careful planning and reconstruction. But if the process remains tight and committed to the cause, you know, Madhya Pradesh Cricket won’t be far away from being a behemoth in its own right.
