Abishek Porel - A Bengal tiger raring to roar

Bengal has been a breeding ground for some of the finest glovemen from the country. The legacy goes a long way back, starting from a certain Probir Sen. Over the years, the likes of Saba Karim, Deep Dasgupta, Wriddhiman Saha have gone on to don national colors after making a major impact with the 15-time Ranji Trophy finalists.

Abishek Porel, a 21-year-old left-hander from Chandannagar, is one such individual who is in contention to join the list of names mentioned above. A mere 41 domestic matches old, Abishek, the younger cousin of Bengal speedster Ishan Porel, has shown enough promise with both bat and gloves for people to sit up and take notice.

Highly regarded in the Bengal cricket circuit, Abishek Porel has proven to be a unique figure capable of scaling new heights. Take his first-class debut game, for example.

Circumstances saw Porel, fresh off four successive hundreds in the U19 Cooch Behar Trophy, make his way into the Bengal XI against Baroda. Only 19 at the time, he walked in at No. 8 with Bengal still needing 107 runs to start their 2021/22 Ranji Trophy campaign with a win.

Porel went on to make 53 out of the subsequent 108 runs, in tandem with a very well-set Shahbaz Ahmed (71*) at the other end. Those 53 runs came at a strike rate of 75.71 - which hovered around three figures for a large part of his innings. Bengal, having stared at a probable lower-order collapse with a debutant and the tail to come at 242/6, went on to achieve their highest successful run-chase in red-ball cricket.

Porel has gone on to cement his spot across formats over the course of time. While he is yet to make a major mark in white-ball cricket, he has been a revelation in the longest format - particularly with the big gloves.

Not very often has a wicket-keeper claimed 40 dismissals in a single Ranji Trophy season - less so in only their second season. Porel achieved the feat in the 2022/23 Ranji Trophy, becoming the seventh wicket-keeper to claim 40 or more dismissals in a single Ranji Trophy campaign.

His glove-work was a talking point in the IPL last year as well. Porel, having been picked by the Delhi Capitals, sure had his moments behind the stumps. The catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma off Mustafizur Rahman against the Mumbai Indians was a notable example.

Into his third domestic season now, Porel will be aiming to take his game up a few notches and make a major impact. He has a total of 11 half centuries across formats in domestic cricket, and he will be keen on converting those starts into a eye-ball garnering three-figure score, something he is yet is register.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda before the start of the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy, Porel opened up about his transition from age-group cricket to playing with the big boys, the shortcomings he feels he has in his game, the process he's looking to follow in order to overcome them, his experience with the Delhi Capitals, and a whole lot more.

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Excerpts from Abishek Porel's interview with Sportskeeda

Q. Let's begin with what's coming up. How are the preparations going about for the upcoming Ranji Trophy?

Abishek Porel: I’ve been at it. After the Vijay Hazare Trophy, I took a break for a day or two. It wasn’t a good tournament for Bengal. Personally, I haven’t been able to achieve desired results, but that’s not all that matters.

I’m playing red-ball cricket after a long time. There’s a process that I’m working on currently, the results will only be right when the process comes good. The aim for me now is to prepare myself as much as possible for the Ranji Trophy. Let’s see how it goes.

Q. Is there any specific process of preparation you've been focusing on for red-ball cricket?

Abishek Porel: I’ve been working on a mindset that applies for both red and white-ball cricket. There have been too many instances of me being dismissed in the 30s and 40s. It’s almost akin to a crime, so those scores of 30s, 40s, 50s need to be converted.

Once you’re set, there’s no excuse for losing your wicket. That’s my main aim this season. There are some technical parts in my game that might need to be adhered to, but my main focus as of now is having a clear mindset, and finding ways to get past those 30s and 40s stages.

Q. It must be really frustrating to leave the field after a promising start to your innings. What goes through your mind each time it happens?

Abishek Porel: There’s not much that comes to mind right after being dismissed. Usually, I give it a thought after a match. One thought brings about a whole chain of thoughts, which can have an adverse effect when taking the field.

Choice of shots is what comes to mind at the time, but I usually work on it after the game. Luck does play a factor, but it only favours you when you’re in the right process.

Q. You once mentioned that you aim to play at least 200 balls in an innings in red-ball cricket - back when you were leading the Bengal U19 side. Has your approach changed over the course of time?

Abishek Porel: That was there when I used to bat higher up the order in U19 cricket. Batting up the order had it’s own responsibilities. Of course, there are more responsibilities for the senior team. Striving to play 200 deliveries in an innings does matter, but I haven’t quite been able to make a major impact in the last couple of seasons with that in mind. I still keep the aim of playing 200 deliveries each innings, though.

Q. Having gone through preparations for matches in the IPL, can you provide us with insights on the differences between preparing for a game for Bengal and in the IPL?

Abishek Porel: Most of the difference lies in mindset. That’s what most cricketers seem to be working on nowadays. Domestic and international cricket might not seem as different at first glance, but there’s a stark difference when you dig deep into it. Mindset of 'bigger' players are different.

As for the IPL, in the nets, you’re given a particular situation, as per your position in the batting order. Opening batters are provided with a target in a six-over phase. Once they accomplish it, the target increases the next day.

This might be the process of improvement for players. Once they’re fulfilling the requirements of the spot, players tend to learn. That might help in discovering the ability of a player. The whole process helps in a match – the player goes into the game with the assurance of having been in the situation in practice and succeeded. It remains in their muscle memory.

Q. Your childhood coach, Bibhas Das, once said you were more of a batter than a specialist keeper. How did you get into wicket-keeping?

Abishek Porel: I’ve played up the order on plenty of occasions at junior level, opening the batting as well at times. Of course, I love to bat more than keep wicket!

Wicket-keeping wasn’t something I focused on when I was younger. Over the course of time, I have realized the importance of it. My perception of keeping was it being easy work - it’s certainly not as easy, though!

I’ve observed the likes of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), Wriddhi daa (Wriddhiman Saha), the work that they put in behind the art, and what benefits them the most. Once I began implementing the same methods and reaped benefits out of it, my interest towards wicket-keeping gradually increased.

That’s how I got into wicket-keeping completely. I’ve been focusing on it a lot more, and have been aiming towards being better at it every day. The same goes with my batting, there’s quite a lot more to learn, which I’ve been picking up.

Q. How does it feel to be an integral part of the Bengal cricket team this early in your career - particularly as a wicket-keeper?

Abishek Porel: I never take my place in any team for granted. Anything can take place in this sport. Losing out on an opportunity is always a major setback for me. Once I enter the field, though, I try to contribute as much to the team with the big gloves.

After all, a win for the team provides me with another opportunity. So, in a Ranji Trophy match, if I claim 4-5 catches, I’ll be done in terms of the wicket-keeping aspect. I believe I’ve had done my job, and helped the team get ahead in the game. A brilliant catch, a stumping, a run out in white-ball cricket – these are certain things that matter a lot to me.

Q. Tell us about the sudden shift you faced from domestic Under-19 cricket to playing for the senior Bengal cricket team.

Abishek Porel: I’m grateful to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for such a major opportunity. Such opportunities have paved the way to the IPL for me eventually. It felt really nice to make my debut for Bengal. The feeling was only bettered by a match-winning fifty.

However, I’m not content with my prowess since then. I haven’t been able to shift gears as per expectations. I’ve been working on it, the rest is up to God.

Q. Your first-class debut was certainly one to remember - a half-century batting at No. 8 to help chase 349! Can you talk us through what happened that day?

Abishek Porel: My mind was blank. I never really fixated on any target. The two of us (Porel and Shahbaz Ahmed) kept batting as per usual. We turned cautious once we edged closer to the target, though. The two of us knocked it around a bit and helped Bengal get past the target.

Q. Let's talk about your experience of the 2022 U19 World Cup. How did you deal with the setback of not having being picked in the initial squad, and what was the feeling of making it to the eventual winning team?

Abishek Porel: Having seen dada (Ishan Porel) play the U19 World Cup and become champion made me dream of doing something similar. I didn’t get to play a game, but the eagerness to play a World Cup was there all along. It was a dream of mine at the time.

I had a terrible Challenger Series leading up to the U19 World Cup, couldn’t make any impact in it. During the Cooch Behar Trophy, we were told by the selectors that doing well in that four-day tournament, scoring a couple of hundreds might pave the way for a place in the U19 World Cup squad.

I retained that in mind. The squad list for the U19 World Cup was out after I scored a couple of hundreds in the Cooch Behar Trophy. I was completely shattered when I didn’t see my name in it. I was hoping to make it to the squad, because the wicket-keeper who did couldn’t quite make an impact in those two matches.

I was really upset, but then I had a chat with Devang sir (Devang Gandhi), our Bengal U19 coach at the time. He told me – which one would matter more, featuring in an U19 World Cup, or playing in a World Cup for India four years later?

Devang sir was right. There have been lot of cases of players fading away from the spotlight after featuring in an U19 World Cup. The focus needs to be towards a big goal.

Q. Tell us a bit about your previous stint at the National Cricket Academy. What exactly are cricketers made to go through over there?

Abishek Porel: There was a camp held at the NCA. Around 7-8 wicket-keepers, targeted across India, attended it. The camp took place for 10 days under Kiran More sir – he was the head. Basic drills of wicket-keeping took place.

Before that, I picked a few drills from the Delhi Capitals fielding coach, Biju George. I kept wicket quite a lot during the IPL last year. The more I’ve been keeping wicket, the more I’ve noticed my improvements. Trying to do better on a daily basis.

There are certain drills that we are made to go through. Gathering half-volleys, keeping a chair in front and trying to gather the ball chucked through it, bat catches. Basic stuff, but the only difference is in the intensity. The ball is hit or thrown harder at you.

Q. How was the experience with the Delhi Capitals last year?

Abishek Porel: It’s a great feeling to get the chance at as big a platform as the IPL. The happiness derived from it cannot be described in words. There’s a lot to learn along with it from big names sharing the same dressing room.

There was a whole lot to take away for me from the IPL last year. Some of those takeaways have been beneficial for my T20 game this season. Personally, the start to this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign wasn’t as good, but it ended well.

I spoke to Sourav sir ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 this year. His advice was to time the new ball and not go hard at it. Trying to hit too hard will make me lose my shape and control over the shot. That was what I kept in mind while batting, and it has helped. Technically, I felt there wasn’t much to pick in my game, which might have helped me in scoring more in the SMAT this time.

Q. The Capitals have two former cricketing giants in the think tank in Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly. What were the inputs that you gathered from the interactions with them?

Abishek Porel: I tried to pick their brains on how to play in certain situations and how to handle good and bad phases. I’ve got a few answers to them, which I'm trying to implement now. You tend to go with the flow when things are going great, and several thoughts cloud your mind when it’s the opposite.

I asked Sourav sir how to recover from the bad phases. He advised me to go back to basics – back to the routine I’ve been following since childhood. Talking to my childhood coach will help, he said, for he’ll understand me the best.

There are times when even the basics aren’t of enough help, but one needs to be at it. Being honest with your efforts in any sport, any profession for that matter has its perks, for sure. I did learn a lot from the two of them, and tried to apply the same as per situations. There are times when it pays off.

I have also been told to stick to my natural game, keeping success and failure aside. There’ll be ups and downs, but I must not deter from my natural game, even if I fail over 10 matches. That has been my biggest learning.

During a net session, Sourav sir told me to free my arms completely and hit if I feel it’s there to be hit. Of course, the risk of being dismissed is there. But if you have a fair idea of where your strong zone is and which area of the field to go after, then taking the risk is worthwhile.

Q. With Kumar Kushagra making his way to the Delhi Capitals squad this season, the competition for the wicket-keeper's spot within the team certainly increases. How would you perceive this challenge?

Abishek Porel: It’s a good thing. It will be exciting as well. The more competition, the better one’s performance will turn out to be. The motivation to do better than the competitor will always be there. It will be fun.

Q. You've been emphasizing on mindset quite a lot, what initiatives have you taken to work on it?

Abishek Porel: I’d like to keep it under the carpet for the time being. Let me see how much progress I make. If I succeed upon its implementation, I’ll certainly elaborate on them.