INTERVIEW

I think, I am on selectors' radar, says Abhinav

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" I have been successful in all the formats and have been consistent." © Cricbuzz

At 26, Abhinav Mukund has 8010 first-class runs under his belt. The Tamil Nadu Ranji skipper last represented India in a Test in 2011 and the southpaw, who has three hundreds in six firstclass matches this season, strongly believes he can make a comeback.

In a candid interview with TOI, Abhinav, who has scored 569 runs in nine innings with three tons and two fifties, opened up on his chances of returning to the Indian side, on him being tagged as a one-dimensional cricketer and on a few other subjects.

Excerpts:

There are a few injury concerns for India opening batsmen KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan. Do you think you have a chance of making it back to the Indian team?

I have been batting well and have started the season on a high. I'm always looking to make a comeback. It's been five years since I last played for India and I'm hungry to play again. I think the national selectors have me on the radar. MSK Prasad, chairman of selection committee, watched me score a hundred against Uttar Pradesh in Dharamsala. Though I didn't have a chat with him, I suppose he would have taken something out of it.

Were you a bit surprised when you were selected for the Duleep Trophy?

Actually, I wasn't expecting the call but it was a pleasant surprise. I was ready for the challenge as I had trained hard during the off-season. I scored 77 & 169 in the pink ball match where a lot of batsmen failed. I also feel a lot of people think that I'm a lot older than what I am because of the fact that I have been playing for the past nine years. I'm just 26!

What was going through your mind when you were dropped from the Tamil Nadu one-day side in 2013-2014?

At that moment, I felt that I would never be in a position to make a comeback (national) again. At times, I have been hard on myself to perform. I was upset mentally. More than the technical aspect, I started working on my mental make-up. I'm in a very fresh space of mind this year and I'm enjoying batting.

Despite averaging 50.53 in your List 'A' career with a strike rate of 80.32, do you think you are being branded as a one-dimensional cricketer, especially in the longer format?

A lot of people have done that and have ruled me out of T20s as well. I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong. I have been successful in all the formats and have been consistent. If someone is being branded, then you can't help it. I also feel these are the factors that kept me out of an IPL contract. But at the end of the day, when you keep scoring runs nobody can stop you. It's important to take things in a positive way and move forward.

How important is an IPL contract for an Indian cricketer to stay on the radar

Yes, it will definitely help a player be in the scheme of things. I miss being part of the IPL. When I was with the IPL teams earlier, I wasn't that good. But I think, I'm a much improved T20 player now. I did well in the TNPL and I feel, I can play IPL.

© TNN

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