Q&A with pacer Krishna Das: "Want to get into an IPL team to get performances noticed"

Krishna Das made it to the headlines of almost all sports pages some time back for his phenomenal bowling performance this Ranji Season. The pace sensation from Assam has picked up 44 wickets in 8 matches with an average of 13.47, which is the best in the lot this year, thus helping his team qualify for the quarter final stage.

His consistent Ranji performance has been rewarded as he got a call into the India A squad for the upcoming Deodhar Trophy, making him the second Assamese player after Javed Zaman to reach this stage.

India A will be led by Ambati Rayudu, which will see Krishna teaming up with names like Varun Aaron and Amit Mishra to complete the formidable lineup. Sportskeeda caught up with this upcoming pacer for an exclusive interview after his selection. Here are the excerpts.

SK: Congratulations on your India A call. We understand that it will be difficult for you to express how you feel, yet the obligatory question.

Krishna: Thank you so much. I am indeed very happy. I am flooded with calls, mostly from friends, relatives and local media. Back in my home town people took to streets and burst crackers. I am happy that my performance has been rewarded and I have a chance to make it even bigger.

SK: It’s been a very eventful season for you and obviously things have shaped up really well for you with this call up. Where do you take it from here?

Krishna: Yeah, I have put in a lot of effort and like everyone even I dream of playing for India. The Ranji stint has been good and I am glad that I could pick wickets at crucial junctions and help my team reach the quarter final stages. But you see, cricket is a performance based game, especially in India where you have players lined up.

I have been bowling well in the group stages and I need to continue doing the same even in the next stages. You also need a bit of luck; like someday I might pick up 7 wickets and the next match I might not get any wickets. So, it’s all about consistent performance.

Right now I am in Vadodara where I am playing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and have also appeared for my IPL trials for Mumbai Indians.

SK: How did the trials go and your expectations?

Krishna: Honestly, the trials went well but there about 40-50 players of which they plan to select just one or two. That makes it really difficult. I really want to get into an IPL team as it gives your performance visibility. If you can perform well in IPL, you have a fair chance of making it to the Indian team.

I really hope so that some team takes notice of my performance and I get in. I have a momentum going and I guess this is the right time for a breakthrough. I hope I get sufficient support and manage a spot in a team.

SK: You of course did well in Ranji, but one day and T20 cricket is a different genre. Assam really did not fare well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and even today got bowled out for 44 against Delhi. Your take on that?

Krishna: As I told you, some days it’s also about luck you see. Sometimes it happens. We all are trying hard to perform. We do not intentionally play bad you see. Our batsman are trying hard, bowlers are trying their best. But sometimes things just don’t happen.

I have been performing consistently for quite some time now. Even my List A and T20 economies are good. So even if you don’t perform in one or two matches, it doesn’t mean that you are bad. And I have already proved my caliber in Ranji, I have shown what I am capable of. I am just waiting for a bigger stage now to perform.

SK: Finally, you will be playing against and with some big names. How do you feel about that? When are you joining them for practice?

Krishna: I actually haven’t yet got any call from BCCI, nor have I received any letter. I just got to know from the media that I have made it to the team. Anyway, I am really happy and confident to play with and against the big names in the list. We have two matches and hopefully I get a chance to perform at least in one match. I will give my best and try to make myself visible with my performance. It’s a big opportunity for me, I hope to make it count.

Also I would like to thank whoever has supported me and I promise to make all of you proud.