Tamil Nadu’s struggles in SMAT, result of a collective failure 

Debatable selection calls, batting and bowling woes, and sloppy fielding have theoretically cost Tamil Nadu a knockout berth in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Having lost three of its four matches so far, it’s a big slump for a team that won back-to-back titles in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

The experienced core group has collectively failed to step up. N. Jagadeesan, who opened the batting and was the top run-getter in the 2020-21 season, has failed to click at No.4 so far. Sai Sudharsan has looked rusty and out of sorts at No. 3. He actually struggled to keep up the momentum set by the openers (115 off 72) against Delhi, scoring just 13 off 10. Shahrukh Khan, who struck at 220 and 157.81 in those title-winning campaigns, has put up a flop show with 18 runs at a strike rate of 75 this season. The way he’s been getting out — a reckless run-out, a charge-and-miss stumping to spin, and a careless slap to backward point off a short ball — does little to inspire confidence.

In the bowling department, skipper Varun Chakaravarthy has been far from his usual best, going at 9.75 an over for just two wickets. His partner Sai Kishore has fared even worse, conceding at 13.62 and managing only a solitary wicket with his left-arm spin — a far cry from his frugal best (4.82 and 6.06) that underpinned Tamil Nadu’s title runs, when spin was its strongest suit. To make matters worse, left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh has struggled to keep things tight, returning only two wickets at 10.70.

The fielding hasn’t been up to the mark, either. There were at least four dropped catches, including two for Rajasthan’s Deepak Hooda (76 n.o.) and one for Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal (102 n.o.).

The selectors have made it baffling by including five batters, who are typical openers, in the squad. With two wicketkeepers in Tushar Raheja and Jagadeesan, there was no need for a third wicketkeeper in Rithik Easwaran. The inclusion of a middle-order batter like G. Ajitesh, who strikes at 161.29, would have made more sense. In fact, all-rounder R. Rajkumar, who scored an unbeaten 43-ball 93 against Uttarakhand, was a last-minute inclusion.

Jagadeesan to lead

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) announced that Jagadeesan will lead the team in the tournament after the skipper Varun has been included in the national T20I squad for the five-match series against South Africa.

The State Senior Selection Committee also announced that Sai Sudharsan will be the vice-captain, according to a TNCA release.