Darshan Nalkande needs to make impactful performance, says former KXIP performance analyst

NAGPUR: One could see Darshan Nalkande cheering for his team from the stands of Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi during Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 13th edition. It’s been two years since Nalkande has been with

Kings XI Punjab

, but he is yet to get a game. While he has been doing well for

Vidarbha

and has been an integral part in the shorter formats, Nalkande is yet to make a mark in the IPL.

Prasanna Agoram

-- ex-performance analyst of Kings XI Punjab, who was responsible for Nalkande’s inclusion in the IPL franchise -- feels Nalkande should now make impactful performance in tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament and Vijay Hazare one-day tournament to get himself noticed.

“Darshan has done well in those tournaments and that’s why he is in the IPL fold. Now he needs to make those impactful performances for his team, just like Hardik Pandya did a few years ago or Devdutt Padikkal did last year in shorter-format tournaments. Once you do that, think-tanks of franchises also get confident about your skills and match temperament,” Agoram, also a high-performance coach, Cricket South Africa, told TOI.

Agoram termed IPL a highly competitive tournament and there’s pressure on the support staff to get the team combination right.

“When you are 19-20 year old coming into the IPL team, there’s always uncertainty about getting into playing eleven straight away. When a youngster doesn’t get games, sometimes they feel left out, but it wasn’t the case with Darshan.

“He would practice so hard. His work ethics were absolutely top class. He was willing to learn. He would field with enthusiasm, bowl his heart out in nets and try to improve his batting,” Agoram, who has also worked with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rising Pune Supergiant and Delhi Capitals in the past, said.

Agoram, one of the leading scouts in the country, had kept an eye on Darshan’s performance at Under-19, Under-23 and at the senior level. He termed Darshan as a “complete package”.

“I didn’t have any second thoughts on recommending him seeing his skill levels, which were absolutely top class. The most important thing for any youngster is to bide the time patiently when he isn’t getting chances. I will give 100/100 to Darshan on patience. He doesn’t allow negative things to creep in,” he said.

Agoram termed Nalkande “a very quiet boy, doesn’t speak unwanted words."

"Many players ask me over the years 'why I am not playing' or 'when I am going to get my chance' and show frustration. He never came once and asked these questions to anyone. That’s the kind of player I would want to give a chance (to) whenever any opportunity arises. Talent-wise he has gone from one level to another level,” said Agoram.

Agoram, who has also worked with the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, said Nalkande’s transformation is impressive.

“Initially, he was nervous while bowling to superstars like Chris Gayle and that’s natural for a boy coming from Under-19 level. However, the way he gelled up with the boys, practiced hard and showed the right attitude in practice sessions was commendable.

"The management started liking him because of this approach. He is a very good package. He is a very crafty bowler and I can tell you he can hit some big sixes and his fielding is always a big plus,” said Agoram.