Arun Karthik excited to play for Kerela

The Kerela Cricket Association (KCA) was in the hunt for a professional guest player for their upcoming domestic season for the last two months. After much dilly-dallying with half a dozen players, they have finally zeroed in on Tamil Nadu batsman Arun Karthik excited to play for Kerela as their second guest player. Arun will deliver his services to the KCA with his counterpart, Madhya Pradesh all-rounder, Jalaj Saxena who was roped in as the first guest player last year.

KCA secretary Jayesh George finalised the selection after discussions with (Kerela coach) Dav Whatmore (Director, Centre of Excellence and bowling coach), Tinu Yohannan and (Director, Games Development) S. Ramesh in Chennai on Friday(July 7). “Arun Kartick has agreed to play for us next season. We have received positive feedbacks from him. he was keen to play for us and we feel his presence will be beneficial to Kerela Cricket,” said Jayesh George.

It is reported that the deal will be inked next week after Karthik gets an NOC from the Assam Cricket Association in a few days for whom he had played since 2014. Among the players KCA had been in talks with were Wasim Jaffer, Tanmay Srivastava and Paras Dogra. The 31-year-old right-hand batsman began his first class career with a power packed 149 against Karnataka in 2008-2009. His impressive Ranji season in 2009-2010 where he had amassed 573 runs, caught the attention of the IPL franchises and he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings initially before being roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011.

Arun ecstatic to get the opportunity

Getting a chance play with the southern folks with whom he is familiar with, Arun is excited and is ready to be a top performer for the Kerela team. “I played three seasons for Assam and I felt it was time to move on. KCA’s offer came at the right time and they have offered the role of an opener. I love playing the new ball and the chance of returning to the top order has got me excited. I am quite familiar with most of the guys in the Kerela team as most of them play a lot of club cricket here in Chennai. I think the team has the potential to go all the way in the Ranji Trophy and I am ready to give my best,” he told TOI.