It has not been smooth sailing for Sandeep Warrier ever since he took up cricket. The right-arm pacer from Thrissur has overcome many setbacks in his journey; be it not getting a consistent run in the Kerala playing eleven or being on the sidelines with injuries. The 30-year-old, who moved over to Tamil Nadu last season in search of realising his dream of playing for the Indian team, was in the news last month after he tested positive for COVID-19 during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“When I tested positive I never expected that the IPL would be suspended soon. But once more players fell sick, the IPL had to be stopped. Thankfully, the infection was mild and relatively brief. I had a slight fever and cough for four days. Once I gave my test reports to my wife (Arathy) who is a doctor, she assured me that I would be fine in a week's time and that's how it turned out,” Sandeep told Onmanorama over the phone from Chennai.
Sandeep is back to training and has resumed bowling. “From May 17 to 30 I started practising warm-up drills and did some basic training as I felt a bit tired. I started bowling from a short run-up only from Monday (May 31),” said Sandeep, who has set up a net-practice facility on the terrace of his apartment at Anna Nagar.
The past season has been a challenging one for Sandeep. He played in one game for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2020 and featured in Tamil Nadu's first six matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.
“It has always been a case of perform or perish for me. I had three good games for KKR in IPL 2019 and then I started the first match at IPL 2020. After that I was dropped. I was called up as a net bowler for the Indian team ahead of the England series after the Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarterfinals. (Tamil Nadu went on to win the tournament). I would have been able to play had Tamil Nadu qualified for the (Vijay) Hazare Trophy knockout phase. But it didn't happen,” said Sandeep.
Sandeep's 44 wickets from 10 matches went a long way in Kerala making it to the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy for the first time in 2018-19. He feels the absence of Ranji Trophy last season was a big blow to his hopes. “There was no Ranji Trophy last season and in the season prior to that I featured in just four matches for Kerala as I was picked to play for India 'A'. I had a good tour of New Zealand and one of the selectors had told me that I was on the verge of breaking into the national team. But unfortunately I have played very little cricket after that. Present form matters a lot in getting selected to the Indian team.”
Sandeep is well aware that a fruitful Ranji season will go a long way in helping him earn the India call. “I am keeping my fingers crossed. An impactful Ranji season will definitely help my cause.”
The pandemic has changed the way the game is played as events are mostly held behind closed doors, with strict quarantine and safety protocols. While many players have spoken about the challenges of the bio-bubble life, Sandeep had an interesting take on the topic. “I am an introvert and I like to spend time alone or with close friends. Hence I have had no issues with life in the bubble. It is an opportunity to look inward and focus on oneself.”
Sandeep felt he was in good rhythm before IPL 2021 and it was a combination of other factors which resulted in him not getting a game prior to the suspension of the tournament.
“I had picked up seven wickets from three practice matches at an economy rate of less than seven. The support staff were pleased with my performance. KKR played the first few games at Chepauk on a slow track. (Pat) Cummins and Prasidh (Krishna) got the nod being international bowlers and later the team management went in for Shivam Mavi as he can chip in with the bat too. But I was always looking forward to playing,” said Sandeep.
Swinging the ball at a lively pace has been Sandeep's forte. The interactions with Cummins and senior Indian pacers have reassured him that there is nothing wrong with his approach to the game.
“Whether it be Cummins or any other senior Indian pacer, they have all been very supportive. I have a good rapport with (Mohammed) Siraj. I have seen Cummins from close quarters in the past two seasons. There is no drastic difference as far as the daily practice is concerned. The big difference is that he's a proven performer on the international stage and I feel it's a lot to do with his mental toughness.”
The IPL is set to resume in the UAE in September/October. Cummins has ruled himself out of the tournament and Sandeep is likely to get his share of chances. “I have always stayed positive in my career. I will do my best as and when I get my chance,” he signed off.
