His batting shows character

UNLIKE MANY to whom the cap has become a certificate of sorts to achieve an end - though not always excellence in the game - recognition has not hampered Ravneet Ricky's process of learning or obstructed his desire for improvement. In fact, it has only enhanced it.

So much so that on his return from the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka in January, where he was adjudged the best batsman of the tournament, the opener slammed the opposition with scores of 134 against Hyderabad, 83 against Baroda, 50 against Bihar and 97 against Railways, to emerge Punjab's highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy Super-League.

And when he had to sit out of the quarterfinal against Tamil Nadu and watch skipper Vikram Rathour craft an innings of authority under adverse circumstances, Ricky couldn't help but regret that he wasn't there.

At that stage, Punjab still had the courage, but hope was turning into memory, and for Ricky the feeling was compounded by an ache of different sort - the injury had robbed him of the crucial tie, from the team's point of view as well as an individual perspective.Looking back, Ricky had created quite a flutter at the Youth World Cup with his power and poise as a stroke-maker. Ironically, he was not in the original World Cup probables announced and was included after the knock of 87 not out against South Zone in the Col. C.K. Nayudu inter- zonal tournament while the 66 against Rest of India for the zone champion clinched him a place in the junior National side.

To a large extent Ricky is a product of the School Games Federation of India's cricket programme and was a member of the India under-15 schools team which won the Lombard World Cup in England in 1996 under the captaincy of Reetinder Singh Sodhi.Ricky, who took to the game as an eight-year-old, began as a middle-order batsman before converting into an opener in 1997 while competing in the under-19 age-group. It was to further his prospects in cricket that he moved from Modern School to DAV School. He is now in his final year B.A. in DAV College, Amritsar.

Prolific form at the University level - including two centuries in the Vizzy Trophy - the following season (1997-98) saw Ricky make his Ranji Trophy debut against Mumbai, though not exactly a memorable one. ``I made zero in the first innings, falling to Saxena, also a debutant, and 18 in the second,'' said Ricky, who played one more match that season and a lone game against Haryana last year in which he made 40. Opportunities to open for the State were limited, with Navjot Sidhu and Rathour doing duty.

Ricky spoke in a revered manner about his coaches, Jaideep Sharma and Rajkumar in the early years, and Bhupinder Singh (Sr) and Manjit Singh and said he discusses his batting with Vikram Rathour. His heroes are Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu.

Ricky, a dasher with the capacity to give the charge whenever needed as he displayed in the semifinal against Australia at the Saravanamuthu Stadium where he notched up a century, said he will be spending the off-season setting right his tendency to play more on the on- side. ``I developed this during the World Cup. I somehow began gripping the bottom hand too tightly and realised this after I watched the tapes on my return. I will be seeking Sidhu Sir's advice on this,'' said Ricky, who was the only Indian and one among the three who scored centuries in the World Cup. Ricky has been selected for the junior section of the National Cricket Academy camp.How a man plays the game shows something of his character. Ricky's batting is all about character...

SANJAY RAJAN

Chennai

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