Ashok Varadarajan (Right Hand Batsman and Wicket Keeper)
Introduction:
There are few cricketers who play the game like I have seen this man play. Full of energy, enthusiasm, venom, and agility. The moment you see Ashok running around on the field or diving around to take catches in the nets, you can figure out that he is a true lover of the game. I have known Ashok for many years and now that he has left the team, it seems like a real asset has been lost. A born athlete and team player, Ashok Varadarajan is my Champion Player of the 2007 season for WVUCC.
Development:
Since time immemorial, WVUCC think-tank has had a policy of reserving one spot in the playing 11 for the guy who shows the most enthusiasm and spirit during the practice sessions. When Ashok first started playing cricket for WVUCC, he did not bowl (he still hardly does) and could barely bat. He was the best fielder we had and the most enthusiastic player on the field. It was his energy and enthusiasm which initially got him into the team. I can hardly remember any game where he was not our first choice for this enthusiasm position, purely for his fielding and spirit.
He spent the majority of his early cricketing days for WVUCC patrolling the boundary lines where he would stand, hour after hour, waiting for one opportunity to display his fielding talent. By far, the safest pair of hands in the team, for years Ashok made little progress in his batting.
Season after season, Ashok kept coming back with better fielding and some improvement in his batting. It was during the final stages of the season in 2006, that he really discovered himself. His 29 against the PittsPunters in 2006 made all of us realize that if he put in some effort in his batting he could turn out to be the surprise package for WVUCC.
Like many other players in WVUCC, Ashok peaked at the right time in 2007. He was given the wicket-keeping gloves for a consistent period of time and he was quick to seal his spot in the team. He took 18 catches and effected 9 runouts and 1 stumping to finish the season as the best wicket-keeper of the PCA league. However, it was his batting which shocked the opposing teams. Not only did he make the runs quickly but played some of the most brutal cover drives I have ever witnessed. Promoted to the one-down spot in the pressure cooker of the playoffs (semi-final and final), Ashok emerged as the best batsman for WVUCC in the playoffs. Perhaps it was his glovework behind the stumps which boosted his batting.
In 2007, he scored 275 runs which included his career best 60 off 51 balls.
My favorite Ashok Varadarajan stroke: Cover drive for Six!!
My favorite Ashok Varadarajan innings: 60 against Hurricanes in the semifinal.
I can't forget his semifinals innings. I was fasting and the day was humid. I started off playing my strokes and running hard. Very soon, I was running out of breath and it seemed that I would break down at any point. It was Ashok at the other end who kept consuming balls while scoring at a brisk pace giving me time to rest and regather myself. Thanks Ashok!
Technical Analysis:
Batting:
Ashok has quite a lot of technical limitations as a batsman. He hardly moves his back foot thus losing balance at times, like Arvind. His front foot goes across towards cover very quickly thus making it impossible for him to play on the legside. His bat also comes down at an angle towards the gully region. This being said, he has improved quite a lot in all of these areas. His defence is much more solid than before and he keeps a nice, steady head at the crease.
Wicket-keeping:
Keeping wickets is no easy job and every keeper needs time to improve. Ashok, being a natural athlete needed little time to become a very good keeper. He has very good reflexes and his long arms enable him to get to the most farthest of balls. He is very safe against seam bowlers when he is standing back. He still needs a lot of improvement when standing up against the spinners. At times he stands too early and does not allow the ball to come to him, instead grabbing at the ball with hard hands. His footwork also could improve. He relies more on the dive than sideways movement of his legs. Overall a fine keeper.
Mental Analysis:
Batting:
Ashok is strong mentally but it is his enthusiasm at times which spills over and destroys his consistency in batting. I have seen him get out many a time trying to hit the ball for a boundary from an impossible length. Playing on merit is the key for any batsman to be effective in the long run. However, Ashok's aggressive intent also bails him out from difficult situations at times. He has improved in this department and only if he is able to play the ball without making his mind up before the ball is delivered, can he be a top batsman.
Wicket-keeping:
The same applies to his keeping. Many a time, he gets carried away with the idea of stumping the batsman or trying to run him out. It is difficult for him to control his urge for aiming at the stumps and ends up giving away extra runs. Due to this he loses focus from the keeping and his technical faults start troubling him again.
What Else!
As I said earlier, Ashok was an asset for this team and we will really miss him in the coming season. From a captain's point of view, Ashok was the perfect player; hardworking, committed to the team, hardly complains, you can send him at any number in the batting order, you can ask him to field anywhere on the field. Whatever you want of him, he will comply and do his very best at it. I wish him all the success in his life and I thank him for the wonderful spirit and enthusiasm he injected in the team for years.
Marks out of Ten (9.5/10)
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