Going against the trend,Sanuth,Chauhan bat

John Buchanan,while he was in charge of Australia once said that time had come to develop ambidextrous cricketers. Little did he know he would find a couple of them during his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both,Sanuth and Chauhan are adept in the use of their right and left hands. “It’s really nice to have players who can use both sides of their body equally well,” Buchanan said the other day.

Sanuth and Chauhan,however,are not going gaga over the IPL. They have a clear vision about their future.

“Twenty20 is now a part and parcel of the game…something you can’t avoid anymore. But as a 19-year-old,my primary target is to get established as a cricketer. So,I have to focus on the first class cricket and must improve my skill in a way that I make a mark in domestic cricket. Once the goal is achieved,the next target will be to push hard for an India berth,” Sanuth told The Indian Express at the Eden Gardens today.

“At this point,I am not thinking about earning money or fame through Twenty20 cricket. If I get a chance to play in the IPL,it’s okay. But I will be happier if I get an India-A call-up in near future,” he added.

Basically a right-arm off spinner,the boy from the backwaters of Kerala can switch to left-arm orthodox at any time and still can hit the length. “I started left-arm spin at my club nets about a couple of years ago. Initially,it was fun. But now I can bowl equally well with my left hand. It’s pretty effective against the right-hand batsmen.”

Sanuth made his first class debut against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy at Palakkad this season. Though he didn’t get a wicket,he was satisfied with his performance that saw him finish with an economy rate of 3.88 in 27 overs.

Chauhan,a right-arm quick from Chandigarh,is waiting for a Ranji call-up and that is his main aim at the moment. “An IPL stint,no doubt will be pretty exciting. But it will be a lot more exciting to play in the Ranji Trophy.

“Every cricketer dreams of playing for his country. And Ranji Trophy is the first big thing you come across in your journey as a cricketer,” he told this daily.

Chauhan’s ambidexterity has impressed KKR captain Sourav Ganguly. It now remains to be seen whether he gets a contract. The 22-year-old is not losing any sleep over it though.

“I have enough time on my side to be a frontline bowler in any premier team — be it the KKR or Chandigarh Lions,” he said.