Who will step into Sandeep Warrier's shoes for Kerala?

KOCHI: As Sandeep Warrier moves on, he leaves behind a huge vacuum in the Kerala Ranji Trophy team to which there is no immediate filler in sight. Sandeep, inarguably the leader of the Kerala pace attack for the last few seasons, has decided to join neighbours Tamil Nadu after playing pivotal roles in Kerala's success stories of late.
Though there is an air of expectancy around S Sreesanth's possible return to the state team after serving out his ban, missing the services of Sandeep, who was on an upward swing, would be a blow at least in the near future.
Sandeep, after adding an inswinger to his arsenal, had become a menacing right-arm pacer. His 44-wicket haul in the 2018-19 season took Kerala to a maiden semifinal appearance in the Ranji Trophy. In the 2019-20 season, a forgettable one for Kerala as they failed to go past the group stage, Sandeep took 13 wickets from four matches as India 'A' commitments kept him away for the rest of the games.
"Sandeep called me up. It was his decision to leave and we have to respect that. Sandeep had been a crucial player for many years for Kerala. His experience will surely be missed. At the same time, it is an opportunity for someone else to step up and grab that place. We also have to see how to get Sreesanth back into the mix once he is fit to play," said Kerala coach Tinu Yohannan, who has taken over the mantle from Dav Whatmore.
"We have a good crop of fast bowlers. Basil Thampi, Nidheesh MD and Asif KM have Ranji Trophy experience and one of them has to now take up the role of the leader of the pack. Then there are some talented bowlers like Basil NP, Anand Joseph, Fanoos among the juniors. We have to groom them for the senior team. It might take some time but there is no shortage of fast bowlers," added Tinu, the first Test player from Kerala.
"In the last few seasons, Sandeep has started knowing his body and bowling better and that has reflected in his numbers. There has been a renewed focus to his fitness and he went through his process regardless of the results. Sandeep's absence was felt as he went to play the India 'A' games last season. His quality was he could do both roles, bowl an attacking line and length on a helpful pitch or do the containing job on a non-responsive surface," said Sony Cheruvathur, former Kerala captain, who was the assistant coach of the team last season.
"Nidheesh is someone who could grow into Sandeep's role. He has shown his quality in limited opportunities so far. Of course, there is the possibility of Sreesanth returning. I have seen him bowl and can safely say that he is still sharp and has not lost his skill to swing the ball. Now it's a matter of seeing him whether he can be match fit and go through the rigours of a season where matches are played back-to-back," added Sony.
"In the past too, we had situations when Kerala players went on to play for Tamil Nadu and most of them were fast bowlers. Prasanth Parameswaran was the last before Sandeep. One good thing about the present day is that there are no shortages of fast bowlers in Kerala. Yes, they may not be experienced enough to replace Sandeep immediately but in due time, they will develop," said S Ramesh, another former Kerala captain, who is the director of KCA's operations and game development.
One good thing for Kerala, though, is that they have in Tinu, the best man to handle fast-bowling resources at the helm as they head into a new season.