Vidyuth confident of making it to the Ranji squad this season

Left-arm spinner P. Vidyuth has claimed 23 wickets from six innings at an average of 11.13 in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament so far. He’s the second-highest wicket-taker behind Jammu and Kashmir’s Vanshaj Sharma (27).

Speaking about his impressive campaign for TNCA President’s XI, he said on Wednesday: “Last year, I played only one game (his debut in Buchi Babu) against Haryana. I got only one wicket in that game. This year, I played all the games.

‘Great experience’

“I played alongside Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram last year. It was a great experience to learn from them. And this year, without them, taking on that responsibility and doing it for the team has been really good for me.

“We played on good wickets against good opponents. So, it was a nice confidence-booster for me. Looking forward to the Ranji Trophy season.”

With Ajith ruled out of the Ranji season and Sai Kishore currently recovering from an injury, Vidyuth stands a chance to make his First Class debut for Tamil Nadu this season. “I’m very confident (of making it to the team). I’ve done well. I’ve been knocking on the door for the last two years, performing really well. I feel I’m ready this year,” he said.

The 24-year-old, who’s into his second season with Alwarpet CC in the TNCA first division league, said he’s “learned to adapt to different wickets” through his league experience.

Having also picked up 28 wickets from 10 innings in the first division league this year, he’s had a good start to the season.