Assam Cricket Association has announced the team of 15 players for the first two matches of the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. The top division domestic cricket championship is the ultimate domestic goal of young aspiring cricketers. This domestic tournament has remained the stepping stone to National or Indian Premier League for decades. ACA had initially invited 33 players from various parts of the state to the trials. After that, the coaches and selectors’ screening eliminated eight players, leaving 25 to play among each other and find their spot in the first 15 and get to represent the state.
In the first list of 33 players, there were five wicket keepers, Abhishek Thakuri, Eric Roy, Sumit Gandhigaonkar, Kunal Saikia, Hrishikesh Tamuli. The first screening saw Eric Roy who was a standout performer in the final rounds of Assam Premier Club Cup last year and Hrishikesh Tamuli get eliminated leaving Kunal Saikia, Sumit Gandhigaonkar and Abhishek Thakuri behind in the top 25.
When the team was announced for the first two matches, Abhishek Thakuri was relegated to stand by and Kunal Saikia and Sumit Gandhigaonkar made it to the squad of 15. These selections are apparently made following trial matches. The scores of these matches played behind the walled gardens of Assam Cricket Association remain unknown to the general public. However, the continuous selection of 36-year-old Kunal Saikia raises eyebrows.
Since this is about a selection of a Wicket Keeper, let’s look at the larger picture of BCCI’s stand point for a moment. Ask anyone in India’s domestic circuit a simple question, who is the best wicket keeper in India? The answer, within the break of a second would be Wriddhiman Saha. The 39-year-old flies like a superman to take catches, scores centuries in Ranji Trophy, scored 54 in IPL final opening the batting and yet, he finds no berth in Indian Cricket Team. Roger Binny and Jay Shah and Rahul Dravid and the BCCI as a whole, has made it clear with its actions that they will back the young talent in their pursuit of a better future. Not the ones who have left their best in the past.
On the other hand, Kunal Saikia who has played over 100 First Class innings – most of them as openers, has an average of 18.57 in First Class Cricket and 13.66 in T20s while his List A average is 18.60 after 38 matches and 37 innings. What are the chances of Kunal Saikia improving his Cricket at the age of 36 and eventually making a mark in the National circuit? How many matches has he won for Assam or to rephrase, has he won Assam equal number of matches as Arup Das or Rishav Das or Pallav Das as he continues to get picked while others are falling out of favour?
Kunal Saikia at 36 keeps 25-year-old Abhishek Thakuri, 24-year-old Eric Roy out of the team who are the future of Assam Cricket. This is in complete contradiction to what is happening in the National scene. When a young Riyan Parag is being trusted to be the captain of the team, why is it that the ACA cannot think behind Kunal Saikia. His last performances are 3 runs against Rajasthan, 10 against Gujarat, 18 and 36 against Andhra Pradesh, 24 and 52 against Maharashtra, 1 and 8 against Hyderabad, 12 against Delhi. Despite these scores, when ACA continues to back Saikia as the first choice wicket keeper in Assam Cricket, it is an obvious question to ask, which is the quota that has been securing the berth for this quota player since 2006? In other words, if Assam Cricket Association is CSK then what makes Kunal Saikia the Mahendra Singh Dhoni?
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