Anshuman Rath registers himself as Vidarbha player
Former Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath, who has moved to India to set his foot on the domestic circuit, has signed up for Vidarbha. Rath believes that it's easy to develop in a structured system than in a scattered one, which is the very reason he moved to India and hopes to make it big here.
No one would have ever thought of watching Hong Kong's Anshuman Rath playing in a local T20 tournament in Nagpur, but it has happened. Rath has relocated to India after relinquishing his position in Hong Kong cricket to set his foot on the domestic circuit and rise through the ranks.
At present, the Hong Kong superstar is stationed in Nagpur and has taken a flat on rent. Rath has to finish the one-year cooling-off period before being eligible for selection but he isn't going to waste much time as he has already started grinding in club cricket. He has joined a local division A club MSSC and went on to score an unbeaten 38, in his first match, against Eleven Stars in the annual local T20 tournament of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) on Saturday.
“I came in at No. 4 in my first match in India but unfortunately, we lost the game. I am based in Nagpur and I am currently a Vidarbha-registered player. I kickstarted all the paperwork in early October. It all happened in a flash. I wish to represent the state from the next season and as of now, I will be playing club cricket. The VCA got me registered as a local player.”
Anshuman is currently training in the Nagpur Cricket Academy to boost up his orientation with Indian conditions and pitches. Rath believes that his stint with Hong Kong cricket is helping him to get used to the conditions easily.
"Playing for Hong Kong and travelling to different places has helped me adjust to these wickets a little faster than what others would. The facilities have been great. The turf nets are good and the academy is pretty much open from dawn to dusk with an indoor wicket. I am still getting used to the wickets and I have definitely got the resources now,” said Rath.
“There is no real coach. It is more of a do-it-yourself but the main guy who organised this is Madhav Bakre [the founder of the academy]. He has made my transition to India very smooth.”
But playing with Hong Kong had it's cons too. Rath didn't get enough matches back then and even being a second-tier associate member of the ICC meant couldn't obtain a visa for English county even after getting an offer from Middlesex.
“Players tend to develop more in a structured system rather than a scattered system. In Hong Kong, seeing all the talent that hasn’t really come up, it is due to disorganisation or lack of facilities. I didn’t want that to be an excuse. I was doing my research and saw Vidarbha as a great opportunity to explore. They have had a lot of success in age-group cricket. It looks like an organised structure,” said Rath, who believes it will be tough for him to break into a side like Mumbai or Delhi. “The competition is very high.”
The all-rounder led Hong Kong in Asia Cup 2018 and his side gave India a major scare in the tournament as they lost the match by 26 runs. The highlight of the match was an outstanding 174-run partnership between openers Rath (73) and Nizakat Khan (92). Rath shared that the match played an important role in shaping his decision about his cricketing career.
“That game was a reality check for me, and a turning point for me in deciding where to move. The highs and lows of associate cricket is that one day, you may be close to beating India and then beg for games. Then, I decided to leave my position in Hong Kong,” he added.