“I like having more responsibility on my shoulders”: Luvnith Sisodia, Karnataka wicket-keeper batter vying for bigger goals ahead of IPL 2023 Auction

When the young Luvnith Sisodia bats, you sit down and relish the exhibition of strokeplay. Sizzling square cuts, nonchalant pulls, exquisite cover drives, & leg glances - the left-hand batter make batting look like poetry in motion, keeping us all hooked to the TV screens. When he hits, the sound emanating from the bat is no less than a crack of a rifle. He absolutely bludgeons it.

Luvnith showed what he can do in the KSCA Maharaja T20 Trophy, where he amassed 389 runs at an impressive strike rate of 153.75. Moreover, it was his ability to face the new ball that stood out. In the powerplay, he aggregated 236 runs at an average of 47 & a strike rate of over 155. In addition to that, he was appointed as captain when Abhimanyu Mithun picked up a niggle midway through the tournament. It was admirable how he accepted that responsibility and led the team from the front with the bat.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Luvnith Sisodia discussed what it was like to take on a new captaincy role in the Maharaja Trophy, what he learned from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his IPL ambitions, and more.

Sai Krishna: Interestingly in the Maharaja Trophy, you were handed the responsibility of captaining the team when you were in the bottom half of the table. But once you took that responsibility, it felt like you relished the role, leading the team from the front with the bat & eventually helping the team to qualify for the playoffs. Did the role bring out the best in you or did you have the extra pressure of leading the team?

Luvnith Sisodia: "Mithun had a niggle after the Mysuru leg of the tournament, and he told us he might not be available for the next game. As a result, management decided to hand over the captaincy role to me. To be honest, I was eager and looking forward to it. I had previously captained the Karnataka U-23 team, so this was not a new role for me. Yes, it did bring out the best in me; my performance graph spiked, and we also qualified for the playoffs. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I like having more responsibility on my shoulders. The credit goes to the team and the support staff. Nobody expected us to make it to the top 4 before the start of the tournament. But we all stuck together as a team and were glad that we punched above our weights and made the playoffs."

SK: After a successful Maharaja Trophy, you were included in the Karnataka squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament after two years. You were given a different role this time around. In the second game against Kerala, there was a collapse and you walked in at No. 5 when the team were reeling at 10-3. You played counter-attacking innings. What sort of adjustments did you have to make?

LS: "Mayank and PV Shasikant sir informed me prior to the tournament that they had assigned me the No.4 position. When I walked in to bat against Kerala, the score was 10-3 in 4 overs, and we were chasing a target of over 200. Given the perilous situation we were in, I was unsure whether to counterattack or drop anchor. When chasing such a total, it's critical to counterattack and reduce the equation as much as possible. That was my only thought. I spoke with Manish Pandey and we decided that one of us had to counterattack here. I decided to take matters into my own hands and proceeded with my natural attacking game. Fortunately, it paid off when I faced Basil Thampi and scored three boundaries in an over. We went from 10-3 in 4 overs to 30 in 5 overs. Things would have been different if I was dismissed while counter-attacking or if the team were 11-4, but I have always believed in 'high risk, high rewards'. I ended up scoring 36 in that game, which gave me some confidence going into the tournament. The following game, I faced a similar situation against J&K. I walked in when we were 24-3, and the pitch was very different from what we had in the game against Kerala, so I decided to keep my head down and drop anchor. I forged an important partnership with Shreyas Gopal. So these two innings put my game awareness to the test."

SK: Most of them know you only as a white-ball specialist, but you have racked up runs in red-ball cricket too. Is it a conscious effort to become an all-format batter, and how hard are you working on it?

LS: "I have piled runs across the formats for Karnataka in BCCI age-group tournaments. I have a 100 against Kerala, Railways and also a double century against Punjab in multi-day cricket. So I have never really considered myself to be constrained to the walls of white-ball cricket. But, I have made a few adjustments to the game when it comes to red-ball cricket. RX sir has helped me a lot when it comes and the technical or mental aspects of the game. I'm 22 now. I’m looking to play all the formats for Karnataka. I have scored runs across the formats. I devote my time equally in the nets everyday, 2 hours for red-ball & 2 hours for the white-ball. So the focus has always been on becoming an all-format player."

SK: With the IPL auction just a handful of days away, what are your expectations? Did you attend any of the trials?

LS: "Yes, I did attend the trials for the Lucknow Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, and Mumbai Indians. I did exceedingly well in all of the trials. In terms of the auction, I have given my all. I concentrate only on what I can control; we all know how unpredictable the auction is. But, yes, I would love to play in the IPL; it's what every youngster dreams of. I've worked extremely hard over the years. I'll be glad to be a part of such a tournament again, rubbing shoulders with the legends, learning from them, and contributing to my team's success. I'm both excited and nervous."

SK: What is the specific aspect of your game you are working on right now?

LS: "Learning never ends, whether in sports or in life. I've been working on a variety of skills. First and foremost, I'm working on the mindset aspect. Having control over what I can control and not being too concerned about what I cannot control. In addition to this, I've been relentlessly working on my wicket-keeping & batting skill throughout. I would like to add more dimensions to my game."

SK: Not many know that you play for Sir Syed Cricketers club in the KSCA 1st division, it's a team that is known for nurturing young talents. Rohan Patil, yourself, Nikin Jose, Manoj Bhandage, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kushal Wadhwani. This year you made history by winning the Sir Mirza Ismail Shield for the first time. Talk us through the memorable campaign.

LS: "A memorable season for all of us at Sir Syed. Enjoyed every bit of it. We have the youngest squad overall. The way we played throughout the tournament was just phenomenal. Every single player stepped up when it mattered the most. That's what makes this team a champion unit. Nikin (Jose) got 700 runs in 11 matches, I got 600, Rohan (Patil) got 500 odd runs and even Manoj contributed with the bat as well, that's 25000 runs from the top order already. On the bowling front, Vidhwath (Kaverappa) did pretty well, and so did Kushal Wadhwani. Kudos to Rahul Menon, he has been a pillar of support for all of us here. We had only 13 members. Rahul only wanted to get youngsters into the squad. He had faith in us. Glad that we could repay his faith by winning the red-ball championship this year."