One of Andhra’s senior most cricketers and consistent performers in Ranji Trophy, 32-year-old D.B. Prasanth Kumar feels that Andhra Premier League (APL) T-20 championship, is a great opportunity for the young talent for the kind of exposure and opportunity it provides to play with senior cricketers.
In an exclusive chat with Sportstar, Prasanth, who played 74 first-class matches scoring 3909 runs including nine centuries having made his debut in 2011 and now playing for Rayalaseema Kings in the APL, shares his thoughts on the League, Andhra cricket and the future.
Q: How do you look at the APL? How important is it for the State players?
APL has been a wonderful platform. It is definitely a great opportunity for the youngsters because they get a chance to play with the seniors in the state. They get the exposure to play under the lights or to play the white ball. Most 19-23 year old guys get the opportunity to play with the seniors where the matches are also being telecasted live. Their talent will be seen and surely get recognised.
Q: You feel the timing of the league ahead of the season is perfect?
In my opinion, the timing of the league is good. They have been organising this league for the last two years and this is the third season. They have been planning it well. I also feel that if it happens before the IPL auctions too, it will be a great opportunity for many young local players. Because if some players perform well and they get noticed in the auction, they might be picked in the IPL too.
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Q: Do you believe that the APL is also the best platform for young talent? And is there a fear that the young talent might also get carried away by the slam bang approach which might deter their prospects in the longer version?
Yes. APL is one such league which has been promoting young talent. Youngsters who are getting this opportunity should make the best use of it. Cricket has evolved so much in the last few years. I feel that young aspirant players should be able to adapt to all the formats of the game. It’s not that they should always go with the slam bang approach. They should adapt to every format. Consistency is the key. Players who learn to do this will have a bright future.
Q: What are your suggestions to make it more popular and attractive?
ACA (Andhra Cricket Association), APL, and individual franchises all have come together and been promoting this league. As they continue to do this, in a matter of time, the league will become more popular and attractive. We already have a lot of support for each team from their regions. I also feel cricket lovers, if they come and watch us directly in the ground, that will be very encouraging to players and the teams. It will motivate us better when we play before a lot of crowds.
Q: Do you believe if other States players enter the league, it might deny the chances for the local talent?
If players from other states come to play along with our players, it will definitely give them good experience and exposure. However, I guess the league has certain rules in which only local state players are allowed to play. This is good as when local leagues support local talent, we will get that visibility, recognition and push.
Q: How do you rate the playing conditions? Do you think some matches can be held in other centres like Vijayawada and or Anantapur?
The playing conditions at the Vizag stadium have been very good. We will love to play in different venues because every team has a different fan base in Andhra. If we play in Anantapur, definitely, a lot of fans of Rayalaseema Kings will be able to attend matches and support us and if few matches happen, Vijayawada fans from that region will come and support their team. Different venues will be a great opportunity for the team to cater to their local fan base.
Q: Personally, how do you look at your career?
I am happy with it as of now because I am not somebody who thinks a lot about it. I will take every day as it comes.
Q: Realistically, what are the goals you have set for yourself and are you happy with the way your career has been moving on?
I am not somebody who thinks way ahead in my career. I don’t set goals much. I concentrate and focus on how I am playing today and win the tournament for my team. Once APL gets over, I will start planning what lies next.
Q: What are your comments on Andhra cricketers like KS Bharat, Nitish Kumar Reddy making it big?
Nitish is a great asset for Indian Cricket, not only for the state because we’ll see very rare batting and medium-paced all-rounders in India and Nitish is one of them. So, I feel that he will definitely play for the country. I feel with the capability he’s having that he will definitely win games for the country. Players like Nitish have played APL too. In this way, APL definitely has given him a great platform and opportunity to play at a higher level.
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