Arun hoping to encash opportunity
There was a spring in J Arun Kumar's stride on Wednesday evening. He had a lengthy stint in the nets along side West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul. It was a strong indication that Arun was going to make his IPL debut for Bangalore on Thursday night against Kolkata.
The 33-year-old right-handed opener is no ordinary cricketer in domestic circuit. He has been around for 14 years, played 105 first class matches, accumulated over 7,000 runs, and 100 List A matches, most of them for Karnataka, before parting ways with them after 2005-06 when he chose to represent Kerala, Assam and finally Goa in Ranji Trophy. "It is obviously frustrating to be sitting out in IPL," Arun told HT on Thursday. "I was actually prepared for every game but it hurt so much not to be included in the eleven."
IPL means a lot for Arun, who was included in the Bangalore team from the catchment area (Goa). "To be playing with the best in the world means very much to me. I will not let go the opportunity and am keen to perform, try to keep things simple and do what is within my control.
"Playing in front of big crowds will be a new experience for me. That will in itself be a motivating factor," Arun said a few hours before the game at Eden Gardens. "It is nice to know people from different parts of the world and to be sharing the same dressing room, to share their ideas and get their inputs. Will learn as much as possible in 44 days."
Not many remember Arun was part of the India 'A' team that went to the West Indies in late 1999. "The saddest part was that despite having a very successful tour to the West Indies (319 runs in seven innings with one century and one fifty), I was not selected for India. It would have been fantastic if the selectors had given me a chance. But I have no regrets. I am very passionate about cricket and will keep on playing till I can."
Arun loves reptiles and had a 15-feet python at his home in Bangalore. He also loves hair on his face, sometimes it is a goatie, some times a French beard, other times a vertical strip of hair below his lips, which soon is transformed into a horizontal shape.
The Bangalorean was a defensive player when he began. "All I knew was cover drive and flick and had a solid defence. I once scored 55 against Andhra in seven and a half hours. But when you mature, the body gets tougher and I started playing a few strokes. I have a blend of both," he said. Being dropped from Karnataka shook him.
"It was a sad thing to happen. I was 29 when I was omitted from Karnataka. But I was used to playing in new environments as I was the only one from South to play for Indian Airlines. It was pretty challenging. The last three years have been tough, being away from family. But cricketwise, it is fantastic. Am enjoying, no matter who you are playing for."