Always wanted to be part of a Duleep Trophy side, says Narayan Jagadeesan

Narayan Jagadeesan in action during the India B vs India C Duleep trophy match at the Rural Development Trust Stadium, Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper and opener Jagadeesan debuted in the Duleep Trophy when he stepped on the field for India-B in the second-round match versus India-C at the Rural Development Trust (RDT) Stadium B-ground in Anantapur.

It was his first-ever first-class match outside Ranji Trophy. He was part of the South Zone squad that clinched the title last season, but didn’t get to play. Even in the ongoing edition, he didn’t get to play the first round.

So, how did he feel making his debut?

“I obviously was very elated about it, because you always wanted to be a part of a Duleep Trophy side. When I stepped onto the field for the first time, it felt good. It was a different experience. Because, personally, I knew that it was something I was doing for the first time outside of Tamil Nadu cricket,” said the 28-year-old over phone on Sunday.

He looked set to bring up his maiden Duleep Trophy hundred, before he was caught behind off Anshul Kamboj on 70 (137b, 8×4). Though he was “very disappointed” by it, a takeaway for him was the way he’d overcome the debut jitters to play his natural game.

“To be honest, I was feeling a bit nervous in the beginning. It was during my keeping. But the moment I got to know nine wickets had fallen (for India-C) and probably I’d be batting soon, I think I was just focused a lot more on my batting. I was just thinking of all the (batting) routines that I do, and I wasn’t nervous at all. After playing the first ball, I just felt I was very confident,” he said.

Jagadeesan highlighted a remarkable feature of the ongoing Duleep Trophy edition. “We have seen a lot of Duleep Trophies, and I think this Duleep Trophy has seen a lot of international players playing the games. Playing with them in close quarters, you get to learn a lot.”