Abhinav Mukund on top of TN Ranji charts

CHENNAI: Abhinav Mukund has been a warrior for Tamil Nadu for more than a decade. Making his debut when he was 17, the southpaw went past a milestone at Dharamsala that he will cherish in the days to come.
Abhinav, now 28, became the highest run-scorer for Tamil Nadu in Ranji Trophy en route to his unbeaten century against Himachal Pradesh on Monday. The former Tamil Nadu captain reached the landmark when he was 73, going past S Sharath (6597), also a reputed left-hander of his time and the current state chairman of selectors.
By the end of the day's play, Abhinav had 6637 runs to his name in the premier domestic competition.The former India opener had already gone part Subramaniam Badrinath (6383) and Dinesh Karthik (6120) and now after overtaking Sharath, he is looking to keep piling it on for the state. "It is an honour to have my name alongside legends such as Sharath, Badri and DK who have contributed immensely for our state. I was aware of the record as a few people had informed me about it after they saw the numbers on television during our game against Punjab. But, it slipped my mind while batting today," Abhinav told TOI on Monday.
As Abhinav walked back to the pavilion at stumps, teammate Vijay Shankar was among the first to congratulate him on his feat, and soon wishes poured in from others as well. "I have never played for records. I will always cherish this milestone but it is more important for me to give my team a good start and put them in winning positions. Doing that is what gives me immense satisfaction," said Abhinav, who has 471 runs to his name in the current season.
Ever since his debut season in 2007-08, Abhinav has been a regular feature in the TN set-up. In his maiden season, Abhinav showed promise by scoring 403 runs from 5 matches. Over the course of 11 seasons, Abhinav has not only seen the highs of scoring runs in trying conditions but also witnessed lean phases where the runs had dried up. "After having played for so long, you do have your high points and low phases. One thing that has never wavered is my self-belief and the immense pride I take in playing for my state," Abhinav said.
Abhinav has played seven Test matches for India as well, the last being against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. But with the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal coming up very fast, the southpaw knows it won't be easy for him to make a comeback to the Indian team. But the desire to represent the country is still very much there and that's why he is looking to play County cricket in the forthcoming season.
"I got a feel of the circuit while playing for the Loughborough Town Cricket Club in the Leicestershire Premier League back in 2014. If I get an opportunity from any of the counties, I will be more than happy to be part of it as it's a great experience," Abhinav said.
Leading TN run-getters in Ranji Trophy
Abhinav Mukund: 6637
S Sharath: 6597
S Badrinath: 6383
Dinesh Karthik: 6120