Smiling assassin takes it in his stride

Bengaluru: Three seasons ago when Karnataka played the Ranji Trophy final in Mysore, a certain spectator in the crowd watched the heart-wrenching scene of Mumbai walk away as champions.

Cut to 2014, next week, the battle for the premier domestic honours will unfold in Hyderabad with Karnataka taking on Maharashtra. The same spectator will sit through the match anxiously again, but this time with disappointment mingled with satisfaction.

As six-time champions Karnataka look to conquer the final frontier, the one vital cog they are set to miss is rising star H.S Sharath.

In his second Ranji Trophy season, the 20-year-old medium pacer had a dream run, scalping 32 wickets in seven matches at an enviable economy of 2.73.  But the towering youngster from Hosagavi village in Mandya will miss the finale, after failing to recover in time from a shoulder injury he sustained while fielding near the ropes in the quarterfinal clash against Uttar Pradesh earlier this month.

If one thought the ever-smiling Sharath would be heart-broken by the cruel twist of fate, he prefers to see the sunny side up.

“I’m surely disappointed on not playing the final, but some things are beyond our control and we just have to count our blessings. For example, god forbid, if I had injured myself in the first match, I couldn’t have played until the quarterfinals. Injuries are a part of sport and we have to accept it.  I believe this injury is a learning experience. Having said that, I could have contributed more to the team this season.”

On the fall which proved costly, Sharath, full of boyish innocence, said, “The crowd was egging me on to save a boundary and I guess I dived a little over-enthusiastically. Otherwise too, it was a crunch game and I wanted to save every run and took a hard hit.”

Sharath, who counts Brett Lee and Dale Steyn among his idols, when asked about his pre-season goals said, “Personally I had set myself a target of 45 wickets this season and in seven matches I landed up collecting 32. Probably if I wasn’t injured I could have reached the target. But nevertheless, it was a fantastic journey built on sheer team effort.”

A man without big stage fright, Sharath believes the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir during the match against Delhi was special.

“My most prized wickets this season has to be that of Sehwag and Gambhir. It was a great feeling because they are seasoned international players I grew up watching on television. To get them out was a special feeling.”

The curtains may have come down on his Ranji season, but Sharath is looking forward to other events on the domestic calendar and of course, the IPL.

When asked on the team on his wish list, the uncapped lad said, “I would like to play for any team which picks me, but obviously playing for my home team (RCB) would be special.”