Exclusive: J Suchith makes Nagaland switch in hopes of IPL contract

Karnataka all-rounder Jagadeesha Suchith changed sides and joined Nagaland for the upcoming domestic season as the 30-year-old was not getting enough opportunities to represent his state, with the likes of Manoj Bhandage, Krishnappa Gowtham and Abhinav Manohar being preferred over him in the 2023 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The trend was likely to continue, and with that Suchith decided to join Nagaland.

Explaining the move, he reminded that he was playing IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022 but due to lack of game time in domestic cricket, he was not considered for selection in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The cricketer believes that if he keeps up well in the upcoming season for Nagaland in all three formats, he will get a call from IPL teams ahead of the 2025 edition.

“I think it is the [lack of] game time. It's been two seasons now since I played red-ball cricket for Karnataka. A couple of seasons back I only played Mushtaq Ali and I didn't play the Vijay Hazare. Last season I didn't play Mushtaq Ali and played only Vijay Hazare,” Suchith told CricTracker as the reason behind his move.

“So it's just the game time. It's been really hard for me personally in the past a couple of seasons. Even after playing the 2022 IPL and then not getting picked in the IPL.. I think game time is one of the most important things why I didn’t get picked in the IPL,” he added.

Suchith aims to do well against Elite teams

Suchith’s goal is to make a mark against the elite teams for the IPL scouts to notice him, which can help him back get into the cash-rich tournament. Notably, he has played 22 matches in the IPL so far, picking up 19 wickets at an average of 31.68. In the recently concluded Maharaja Trophy, which Suchith’s team Mysore Warriors won, he picked up 12 wickets in as many matches and scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 164.28.

“I have a lot more game time this year and a lot more opportunities to make a difference against the good elite teams. So, if I'm able to do that and win few matches for Nagaland, so that I'll be able to make a difference and a lot of people notice it and get back into playing IPL again,” Suchith said.