I am a big fan of MS Dhoni, would love to play for CSK: Odisha captain Subhranshu Senapati [Interview]

Odisha’s captain Subhranshu Senapati is one of the two players from the state whose names have been shortlisted for the IPL 2022 mega auction. The event is slated to take place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru with 590 players from across the globe going under the hammer.

A right-handed middle-order batter, Senapati made his senior debut in the 2016/17 season after enjoying a run-laden spell in youth cricket as Odisha’s U-19 captain. In a short span of time, the 25-year-old has established himself as Odisha’s batting mainstay. He finished his first two seasons in first-class cricket as his state’s leading run-getter and took over the mantle of captaincy at the tender age of 22.

Senapati has so far amassed 1854 runs from 34 first-class matches at an average of 37.83, including five centuries and seven fifties. In List-A cricket, he has scored 988 runs in 32 matches at an average of 41.16, including two centuries and five fifties. The Keonjhar-born also has 637 T20 runs to his credit at an average of 28.95 and a strike rate of 122.26.

Endowed with a strong technique and a wide array of shots, Senapati is rated highly by former Test cricketer and Odisha’s current head coach Wasim Jaffer. “He has a sound technique and is always willing to improve his game. If he becomes mentally stronger and has a terrific domestic season, he can make it to the next level,” Jaffer, a domestic legend, recently said.

In last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Senapati notched up a whirlwind 67 (off 47 balls) against a formidable Tamil Nadu side comprising bowlers like Murugan Ashwin, T. Natarajan, Sandeep Warrier and Sai Kishore. A month later, his second List-A century (116 off 120 balls) propelled Odisha to a 63-run victory over Srikar Bharat’s Andhra Pradesh. These two knocks have catapulted Senapati to fame and led Jaffer and former Odisha batter Rashmi Ranjan Parida to believe that he deserves to be picked by an IPL franchise. His call-ups for Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have only added to the buzz around him.   

In an exclusive chat with CricTracker, Senapati spoke about his transition to senior cricket, his rapport with Wasim Jaffer and his feelings before the IPL mega auction. Here are the excerpts.

Q: How did you get into cricket? Tell us about your formative years.

Senapati: I started playing tennis ball cricket when I was 10 years old. One day, I saw my cousins play cricket near our house, and that’s how I got attracted to it. My grandpa was a very talented person. He used to carve cricket bats out of pieces of wood for me.

Q: You hail from Keonjhar, a district that doesn’t have a great cricket infrastructure. How challenging has it been to pursue the game from there?

Senapati: Yes, you’re right. Keonjhar didn’t have any infrastructure when I started playing. People play more tennis ball cricket over there. Even I played tennis ball cricket until I was in the eighth grade. Then a school friend referred me to a club that uses leather balls for practice.

I didn’t have any personal coach at the time. There was a senior bhaiya (elder brother) who taught me the correct technique to face leather balls. I had no idea about the basics of leather ball cricket before that.

Q: Did you have any local heroes whilst growing up?

Senapati:  Actually, not many players from Odisha have represented India except Debasis Mohanty, Shiv Sunder Das and Sanjay Raul. However, I didn’t interact with them in my formative years. You can say that they’ve inspired my journey in a way, to dream of playing for India. I’ve played alongside Biplab Samantray, Natraj Behera and Basant Mohanty though. They’ve served Odisha cricket for a long time and there’s so much to learn from them.

I’ve always had the self-belief that I can do well at this level. I’m determined to prove my mettle. 

Q: Who is your batting idol?

Senapati: [Spontaneously] Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni! I’ve grown up watching them bat. I fell in love with the game after seeing Sachin sir score 673 runs in the 2003 World Cup. I’ve always admired his balance. I’ve modeled my game on him and I fervently used to shadow his batting stance in my childhood.

[About MS Dhoni] I am a big admirer of his captaincy. He’s a selfless captain. I became his big fan after the 2011 World Cup [smiles].

Q: Why didn’t you become a wicketkeeper then?

Senapati: [laughs] I’ve always been more inclined towards batting.

Q: You became the captain of Odisha at a very young age. Talk us through the journey of breaking into Odisha’s senior team and taking over the captaincy mantle.

Senapati: First, I was the captain of the U-16 district team. I made it to the U-16 state team, but couldn’t play a single match. However, I worked hard and made it to Odisha’s U-19 team the following year. I was determined to make a mark at the junior level. That season [2012/14], I hit two hundreds and a fifty in the Cooch Behar Trophy. That performance helped me become Odisha’s U-19 captain the following season [2013/14].

Unfortunately, I suffered a wrist fracture while fielding at the start of the 2014/15 season. I missed a zonal camp because of it. That phase was difficult to endure psychologically, but I managed to stay patient and made the senior Odisha team the following season. I was given Odisha’s captaincy in my third season with the senior team.

Q: You made a terrific start to your senior career by becoming Odisha’s highest run-getter in your first two Ranji Trophy seasons. Did you feel overconfident at that stage?

Senapati: No, I’ve never felt overconfident. I’ve always tried to stay grounded and improve my game. Although I was Odisha’s highest scorer in my first two Ranji seasons, I feel I could’ve done a lot better. My game has evolved massively ever since Wasim [Jaffer] sir became our head coach.

Q: Wasim Jaffer took charge of your team last season. How has he influenced your game?

Senapati: I think the cricket culture in Odisha needs to change. When Wasim sir first interacted with us, he didn’t know a lot of things about Odisha cricket. We had a camp before last season’s IPL where he saw all the cricketers. He told me many things regarding my technique, but the most important thing that he told us was that we need to become mentally tougher, and I completely agree with that. He had one-on-one interactions with every player. He’s a very positive person and his dedication to the sport has rubbed off on us. We’re very upbeat as a unit now.

Q: I recently spoke to Wasim Jaffer. He said that he wants you to score 700+ runs in the upcoming edition of the Ranji Trophy so that you can make it to the next level. Do you think you can achieve that?

Senapati: I think I couldn’t deliver my 100% in the previous editions of the Ranji Trophy, mainly due to lack of consistency. That said, I’ve been working very hard on my batting lately, and Wasim sir has been encouraging me a lot. I’m also much fitter now and hence, I can stay longer at the crease. Amiya Mohanty (senior trainer) has helped me boost my stamina and I can see the results now. I want to continue with this work ethic and fulfill Wasim sir’s expectations.

Q: He also opined that earlier you were not authoritative enough as a captain. Do you think you’re improving on that front as well?

Senapati: Yes, he’s absolutely right. Captaincy is all about confidence and I’ve become much more confident as a captain under his guidance.

Q: You’ve become very consistent since your innings (67 off 47 balls) against Tamil Nadu in last season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Having fared well against bowlers like Murugan Ashwin, T. Natarajan, Sai Kishore and Sandeep Warrier in that match, do you think that knock was a big confidence booster?

Senapati: You can say that. Before the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, we played a few practice matches against Chhattisgarh where I did well. However, in our first match against Goa, I scored only 3 runs. I went back to the dressing room after the dismissal and asked myself, ‘What are you doing? Being a senior player, how can you play like that?’ I was very angry at myself.

The next day, Wasim sir had a long chat with me and I got a lot of support from him and our chief selector [Prabhanjan Mallik]. Wasim sir kept telling me constantly, ‘Khadoos bano, khadoos bano’. I think that has really helped me develop a ‘street fighter’ kind of attitude. (In Mumbai cricket, the colloquial word “khadoos” is used to signify a never-say-die attitude.)

Q: Your good performance on the domestic circuit in recent times has earned you call-ups for IPL trials. Which teams have called you for their trials and what kind of feedback have you received from them?

Senapati: I first went to the trials of Chennai Super Kings in December last year. I was very excited when I got the call-up because I’ve been a big fan of CSK since my childhood. [Lakshmipathy] Balaji, Arun Karthik and Ambati Rayudu supervised the trials and gave me positive feedback. I scored a hundred against Andhra Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy just before that, so Rayudu had seen me bat closely.

A few days back, I went to Mumbai Indians’ trials, which were supervised by Parthiv Patel. I batted for a long time there and received good feedback from him. I was also called for the trails of Punjab Kings and Lucknow Supergiants, but unfortunately, those trials were canceled due to a COVID outbreak. Let’s see what happens [smiles].

Q: You’ve been playing plenty of shots lately. Are you consciously trying to enhance your scoring rate, keeping the shorter formats in mind?

Senapati: I’m trying to add a new dimension to my batting. I’ve been practicing a lot of shots in the nets because I want to score at a faster rate in white-ball cricket. That said, I always try to play proper cricket shots; I never try to slog.

Q: You used to bowl quite a lot in your U-19 days. Considering the intense competition in Indian cricket at present, it has become imperative to possess a secondary skill. Can we expect Subhranshu Senapati to bowl more in the coming days?

Senapati: Yes, I did bowl medium pace quite often in U-19 cricket. Although I don’t bowl much in senior cricket, I still practice bowling in the nets. You might see me bowl more in the upcoming season. That’s something I have in my mind.

Q: What target have you set yourself for the upcoming season?

Senapati: I want to be the best version of myself and score a lot of runs in all domestic competitions. I’m glad that the Ranji Trophy will commence soon. I’ve also got an opportunity to represent Himley Cricket Club in the Birmingham League later this year. As far as the IPL auction is concerned, I’m not under any pressure at all. The pressure days are gone; now I am only confident. My main aim is to represent India in any format.

Rapid Fire:

Your nickname – Chikoo

Your favorite cuisine – Homemade khichdi

 Your favorite movie – 3 Idiots

Your favorite cricket shot – Backfoot punch

Toughest bowler you’ve faced in domestic cricket – Jasprit Bumrah

Your dream selfie – MS Dhoni [blushes]. I would love to play for Chennai Super Kings!

 Interview by Ritam Basu