Having recovered from wrist injury, the all-rounder says he is looking to lead Mumbai to victory in Buchi Babu this month.
It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and Abhishek Nayar was busy playing his Xbox when the cellphone rang. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) joint-secretary Hemant Waingankar was at the other end. The news on offer was that the cricketer has been selected to lead a young Mumbai side in the forthcoming Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament.
This bit of good news comes to Nayar after months of pain, despair, inaction treatment, recovery from a wrist injury and subsequent hard work. The all-rounder will be leading a 17-member squad in the tournament that will be held in Chennai from August 17-30.
“I was extremely happy when Hemant sir broke the news. In fact, just a few days earlier, I had called up Paddy sir (MCA chief selector Padmakar Shivalkar) and informed him that I am fit and available for selection,” Nayar told DNA on Sunday.
“I last wore the captain’s hat for the Mumbai under-22 side. I can’t even recollect when that was! But I do remember we made the semifinals of the Cooch Behar tournament,” he said.
Nayar had undergone a surgery on his wrist after IPL-3 and has been training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore till last week. “I am fine now,” he said.
Asked if he has consulted any former Mumbai captain Nayar said, “No. I’d like to go there with my own ideas.”
“My aim is to allow each player to play to the best of his potential. I want to take all of them to a higher level, better than what they are right now. Off the field, I am chilled out but I want 100 per cent commitment on the field,” he added.
Nayar said he can’t wait to bring back the Buchi Babu trophy to Mumbai. “We won it a couple of seasons ago. I desperately want to lead Mumbai to victory this time.”
Mumbai play three two-day games (league). Victory in two of those will help them seal a quarterfinal berth.
Nayar’s elevation is a direct result of the consistency he’s shown over the past few seasons in the domestic circuit. The southpaw, despite wrist injury, cracked a stupendous, match-deciding double ton against
Delhi in the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy earlier this year.
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