Kamlesh Nagarkoti keen on making up for lost time

With a minor tweak in action without compromising his pace and swing, the 21-year-old feels he is back on track.

With a minor tweak in action without compromising his pace and swing, Nagarkoti is back on track.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s stock was high after the 2018 Under-19 World Cup. Kolkata Knight Riders had bought the youngster in the Indian Premier League auction. Being a lively pacer, a more than capable bat and a brilliant fielder, he had all the boxes ticked to progress higher until injury had a say.

He missed two editions of the IPL before playing 10 matches in 2020 and one this year. This is the first time he has completed both the Syed Mushtaq Ali and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in three years.

Speaking on Sunday after Rajasthan’s pre-quarterfinal loss to Karnataka, Nagarkoti said, “I have been injured for a while, so it was important for me to be back playing for my state again and perform well.”

READ|

“When I was at the NCA, I was practising according to a set workload. I planned to be fit for all the matches in this tournament by utilising my training regimen well,” he added.

When asked about dealing with the disappointment of injuries when his career was about to take off, Nagarkoti said, “Every sportsperson goes through periods of absence due to injury. What is important is how impactful the comeback is. In the beginning, I was struggling with my pace. At KKR, Omkar Salvi was working with me and I have my coach – Surendra Singh Rathod. I consulted them when planning to make small changes to my bowling action. I didn’t face a problem with my pace.”

READ|

Elaborating further on the recovery, the pacer explained, “The three years were good as well as bad. It was good because I was at the NCA and spent time with (Rahul) Dravid sir. I learnt a lot. When you get injured the next time, you know what to do and what to avoid – the things that add to the load and to manage those.

“The disappointment was the realisation that if I hadn’t been injured, I might have played at higher levels sooner. But that’s fine; everyone has a time, and I will wait for my time to come and perform when I get the chance.”

With a minor tweak in action without compromising his pace and swing, the 21-year-old feels he is back on track and wants to make up for the lost time.