At the moment, India are the number one fast bowling side in the world, says Sudeep Tyagi

No competitive cricket under his belt, spotted by Mohammad Kaif when he was bowling in the Uttar Pradesh nets, picked in the UP under-23 side, selected for the UP Ranji team, finished as the leading wicket taker in his debut season, played in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, made his debut for India - all this in the space of less than three years tells the story of fast bowler Sudeep Tyagi's rise to stardom.

Tyagi, who was first spotted by Kaif when the pacer was bowling in the UP nets, was backed to get into the state's Ranji team without any experience of playing league cricket. He repaid the faith Kaif had in him by taking a ten-wicket haul on debut in 2007 and ended the season as the highest wicket taker with 41 wickets. Unfortunately, he missed a majority of cricket in 2008 with a stress fracture but made a name for himself in the 2009 IPL where he played for Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won two IPL titles and one Champions League title.

He carried his good form into the Indian side that took part in the Emerging Players' tournament in Australia in a quadrangular series involving the hosts, South Africa and New Zealand. That put him in the reckoning for a place in the national squad and thereafter getting a national call-up was just inevitable.

As expected, he made his debut for India against Sri Lanka in the 2009 Delhi ODI, that was abandoned due to an unfit pitch. He was a part of the Indian team and managed to play three more ODIs and a lone T20I. That's all he managed though as he suffered a shoulder and heel injury in quick succession.

Sudeep Tyagi during his UP days (Image credits: Indya101.com)

It took a while for him to recover and in the mean time, Tyagi, who used to bowl consistently at over 140 kmph, lost his place in the UP team, moved to Saurashtra, played for them for a season and then moved to Hyderabad where he is looking to make a comeback. Currently, the right-arm pacer is taking part in the Kalpathi-AGS All-India Buchi Babu invitational tournament in Chennai as he, along with his Hyderabad teammates are preparing for the upcoming domestic season.

Sportskeeda caught up with the out-of-favour Indian pacer on the sidelines of the tournament and here are some of the excerpts from the interview:

What made you start playing cricket?

I saw a lot of people playing cricket in my locality during my childhood. That fascinated me and made me start playing cricket.

You didn't have any prior cricket experience when you made your first-class debut. How difficult was it for you to adapt to the demands of FC cricket? How did you make it to the UP squad?

Obviously, it was very difficult for me to adapt at the start of my career. But, I got used to it. Uttar Pradesh is a big state and has a lot of talent. Whenever I attended a trial, there were around 500-600 youngsters waiting to showcase their skills. I bowled very well there and the selectors first picked me in the under-23 team where I bowled well in the first two matches. It was then that they picked me in the UP Ranji team because Praveen Kumar and RP Singh were away on national duty. All these things happened after Kaif spotted me in the nets.

What is the influence Mohammad Kaif has had on your career?

Kaif's influence is really big because he is the reason why I got into the UP team in the first place. And, when I got into the team, he asked me to bowl normally without trying any new things and that helped me a lot. Throughout my time with the UP team, Kaif backed me really well and helped me to come up as a cricketer.

Tyagi (extreme right) was a part of the 2010 Champions League T20 winning CSK team

You had a great couple of years from 2008-2010. Take us through that period.

That period is something that I don't want to forget till my last breath. I made my Ranji debut in 2007, took ten wickets against Odisha and in my first season, I finished with around 42 wickets in seven matches, ending as the highest wicket-taker. After that season, I got a stress fracture because I did not play any junior cricket coming into the first-class scene and I didn't know anything about fitness.

I went to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for rehab. Then, I got picked for India A and did well there before getting a chance to play for Chennai Super Kings and the Emerging Players' tournament in Australia, where I ended as the highest wicket-taker. Finally, I made my India debut in 2009. It was a great feeling, something I never expected to happen growing up.

What happened after that?

In 2012, I got injured again and I had to undergo a shoulder surgery. Since then, my career has slowed down. In between, I suffered a heel injury. Now, I am injury-free and doing a lot of hard-work to replicate my golden days.

Being a pacer, how difficult is it to make a comeback from injury?

It is very difficult, not only for a fast bowler, but for anyone, be it a batsman or a spinner. It takes a lot of time to return from injury. My injury was serious and I had to miss a full year.

Being a fast bowler, the shoulder is very important. It was very tough for me during that period. I was just thinking about the golden time I had with CSK and the Indian team and that motivated me to make a comeback. My family and friends stood by me at that time.

After suffering a shoulder injury, did you decide to compromise on pace so that the injury would not occur again?

Pace is my biggest strength. In spite of all these injuries that I have suffered, I don't want to compromise on my pace. Instead, I will put more effort and continue bowling fast.

Tyagi has already played for three different domestic teams

You have played for three different domestic teams in the last four-five seasons. Why did you leave UP in the first place? Subsequently, why did you move from Saurashtra to Hyderabad?

In UP, I had some issues with the board. That was the reason I left the team. I was approached by Saurashtra after Ravindra Jadeja told me that they were looking for a fast bowler. I played for them for one full season before I was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

They were searching for a fast bowler and approached me. They were ready to welcome me with open arms if I wanted to move to Hyderabad. I didn't have much to think and opted to move.

What are the goals you have set for yourself this season?

I just have one thing on my mind. I want to go out and express myself and take a lot of wickets. But, the team comes first. If we are winning, my performance does not matter. We just want to do well in the Ranji season.

If I manage to take 35-40 wickets, it will help me in making a good case for myself. Yes, there is a lot of competition, but taking a lot of wickets will help me be in the reckoning.

You played for both India and Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni. How was the experience of playing under someone like Dhoni?

What can I say about MS Dhoni? He is a great captain and had a big hand in me making it to the Indian team. When I started playing for CSK, I was the leading wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy and he wanted me to replicate what I did there. Even if I got hit for fours and sixes, he just wanted me to be myself and bowl how I used to bowl in the past.

Tyagi celebrates with MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina after dismissing AB de Villiers in the 2009 IPL

You shared the dressing room with the likes of Freddie Flintoff, Dougie Bollinger, Makhaya Ntini etc. when you played for CSK. What did you learn from them?

During my CSK days, I used to speak a lot to Makhaya Ntini. He insisted that I work hard on my fitness. His inputs really helped me a lot in my career.

Are you thinking of making a comeback to the national side?

Right now, I am only 29 years old. I have at least five years left in my career. I will try my best to make a comeback to the Indian team.

What is your take on India's current fast bowling attack?

After a long time, we [India] have a very good bowling attack. Umesh, Shami, Bhuvneshwar and Ishant are very good bowlers. In limited overs, Bumrah is a great bowler. At the moment, India are the number one fast bowling side in the world.

Which is more special? The ball that dismissed AB de Villiers in the IPL or your first ODI wicket (Kumar Sangakkara)?

I will pick the one in which I dismissed AB de Villiers. That ball is my dream ball.