When opportunities dried up for Abrar Kazi in his home state of Karnataka, he decided to ply his trade in Nagaland. An unbeaten 215-ball 200 and a four-for-16 haul, in his very first match for his new team, proves that Kazi made the right decision.
The fine all-round performance, against Mizoram, has come as sweet relief from a turbulent phase of his life. After scoring his maiden first-class century, for Karnataka in January 2015, Kazi’s action was called into question by the match referee. It nearly ended his cricket career.
He fought back, remodeled his left-arm spin action, and was cleared to bowl after undergoing a battery of tests at Sri Ramachandra Sports Medicine Centre (Chennai). The long layoff, however, cost him a regular spot in the Karnataka side.
Plate Round-up: Bihar suffers 10-wicket loss; Nagaland dominates Mizoram
In the space of three years, Kazi had played only nine first-class matches for Karnataka. At the start of this season, he knew that it was time for a big change. “Even if I got into the Karnataka squad, I would have played only 2-3 matches. The best option was to move to a new State. Of course, it was tough to leave Bengaluru, but the priority was to get opportunities to play first-class cricket,” Kazi said on Tuesday.
On his stellar show at Dimapur, Kazi said, “It feels amazing. I never expected to get a double century. After I got to 100, I was informed that we were not going to declare, so I was keen to carry on batting for a long time.”
Kazi has high praise for his Nagaland teammates. “We are the best team in the North-East. The players are exceptionally talented, and we can definitely qualify for the Elite Group for next season," Kazi said.
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