Vidarbha's loss is Chhattisgarh's gain

NAGPUR: On his debut,

Sumit Ruikar

removed a well set Dinesh Karthik with a beauty to take his first wicket. The ball had dipped on the batsman and turned enough to kiss the edge on its way to the wicketkeeper. Ruikar proved his worth by not only taking two wickets against Tamil Nadu but also scoring a crucial 67 to help Vidarbha take the innings lead.

Despite his good performances thereafter, Ruikar couldn't cement his place in the playing eleven and played only 10 matches in the next three years. He never got assurance in Vidarbha fold. However, things are different in Chhattisgarh.

In his maiden season with the domestic circuit's latest entrants, Ruikar is making the ball talk. So far, he has taken 24 wickets with three five-wicket hauls this Ranji Trophy season. His 7-112 against Himachal Pradesh is the best figure by any Chhattisgarh bowler.

"I felt bad leaving Vidarbha. I had been playing there since my Under-15 days, so obviously I was emotionally attached. However, this was totally a professional decision. I wanted to play Ranji Trophy. I wasn't getting enough opportunities in Vidarbha and so I had no other option. Thankfully, Chhattisgarh got the affiliation and being an AG office employee, I was eligible to play as a local player there," Ruikar told TOI.

"I always wanted to play Ranji Trophy. I knew I have the ability to do well at this level. The presence of Sullu (Sulakshan Kulkarni) Sir here helped me. I played under him in Vidarbha and did well in KSCA Trophy. He knew my strengths and what I could do. He has always given me confidence. I am glad I didn't let him down," he added.

In 2009, Sumit Ruikar's world turned upside down after he was called for suspect action during an Under-22 match. He was one of the shining lights at the Under-19 level and was looked at as a future prospect post Preetam Gandhe era.

"I was surprised. When we saw videos of my action and there wasn’t anything wrong. The only problem, my coaches thought, was that my hands would open up a bit at my hip before it went up to release. So it would seem like I am straightening my arm," the 26-year-old said.

Ruikar worked hard at VCA's Residential Academy and

National Cricket Academy

to overcome this hurdle. "I only had to make minor changes. I used to bowl for hours and every day we would have videos and it really helped. It all happened too quickly, so there was no impact on my career," Ruikar said.

He picked up over two hundred wickets in 2012 across all formats. He then bagged 41 wickets — the highest in the tournament — for Vidarbha in the Col CK Nayudu Under-22 Trophy and forced his way into the Ranji Trophy.

The presence of Narendra Hirwani as a spin consultant also help Ruikar grow as a bowler. "I used to make a lot of small mistakes with my body position. He would clear those mistakes in no time. It was more of a mental thing than making changes in my action," said Ruikar.

"I had to make changes like stretching my body a bit more while bowling. He also taught me how to use my thumb to slow the ball in the air, to tighten your core when you're tired to get more turn, and to use the crease properly. I thank him for making me the bowler that I am today," he added.

Now that he has had his first successful season, Ruikar wants to do well for Chhattisgarh in all formats