R Vinay Kumar not giving up on Indian national team comeback
The Karnataka skipper last played for India in 2013
What's the story?
Karnataka pacer all-rounder R Vinay Kumar is confident that he can make a successful comeback to the Indian national team and is focussed on impressing the selectors by keeping up his fine performances in the domestic circuit.
The 33-year-old has picked up 20 wickets in three Ranji Trophy matches this season and has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit with both bat and ball over the past decade.
"Performance-wise, I don't have any doubt that I can come back into the Indian side, but I need to wait for an opportunity," Vinay Kumar said.
"You may or may not reach the goal, but that kind of challenges and motivates you to go out and perform. At the end of the day, when I go back to my room, I should be happy about the way I bowled. That feel-good factor is very important for me," he added.
In case you didn't know...
Vinay Kumar's last international appearance turned out to be a nightmarish one for the pacer as he was smashed for 102 runs in an ODI against Australia, more than 4 years ago.
The Karnataka skipper has however neither let the disappointment get the better of him nor has he given up hopes of donning the Indian jersey in the future.
The heart of the matter
Vinay Kumar, who was the highest wicket-taker in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy leading Karnataka to their second successive treble along with the Irani Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has a tough job in hand though with the current Indian pace contingent on top of their game.
The right-arm medium pacer understands the present scenario but is hopeful that the opportunity will come his way if he keeps performing consistently and that is exactly what he is planning to do.
Vinay Kumar also claimed that he is different from other fast bowlers in the sense that he is someone who would be rather happier by breaking an important partnership rather than picking up a five-wicket haul, contributing more for the team cause rather than individual glory.
Extra Cover: Be it batting, bowling or fielding, I just want to come back to the Indian team, says Vinay Kumar
What's next?
Vinay Kumar will have to wait before adding to his tally of 1 Test, 31 ODIs, and 9 T20Is for India as he focusses his attention for Karnataka who are currently taking on Delhi in the Group A Ranji Trophy fixture.
Extra Cover: 2017-18 Ranji Trophy round-up, Round 5, Day 2: Binny slams a ton; Pujara falls short of double century
India, on the other hand, takes on Sri Lanka in their next home assignment beginning with the Test series on November 16, before heading to South Africa.
Author's take
At 33, time is slowly starting to run out for Vinay Kumar, but as we have seen with Ashish Nehra, you are never too old to make a comeback and the Karnataka cricketer is definitely one with a lot of heart and maturity to be able to do that.
Pace has never been his biggest asset and if he keeps performing at the domestic level as he has been doing for so many years now, there is no reason why he can't make it back to the Indian team should an opportunity arise in the future.