The playbook of hard work, featuring Karnataka's KV Siddharth
On November 20th 2018, the Karnataka cricket team players and support staff were up on their feet, lauding a fantastic maiden Ranji Trophy ton against Mumbai from 26-year-old KV Siddharth.
However, for the stylish batsman, the century was more than just a landmark. The hundred was an accomplishment that came as a testament of the blood, sweat and tears he had poured into his training for almost a year.
As KV Siddharth raised his arms aloft and soaked in all the applause, he was finally reaping the rewards of his hard work. And yet, there was no stopping there, for this hundred was only a catalyst that was set to propel his domestic career.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, KV Siddharth reminisced his memorable Ranji debut, the journey so far with the state team and more.
"100%, the century was a special moment. I was batting well and it was only a matter of time before I got a century. The fact that the 100 came against Mumbai gave me a big boost. It was the best feeling ever," KV Siddharth recalled.
For a talented youngster who took to the sport at a very young age, falling in love with the sport came naturally to the ace batsman. His father SK Venkatesh played division level matches and his brother, KV Bharat played U-14 and U-16 level matches for the state.
At 12 years of age, the Bengaluru-born cricketer represented Karnataka at the U-13 level, before going on to feature in the U-15, U-19 and U-23 tiers as well. However, by his own admission, KV Siddharth was not too serious about featuring in the Ranji Trophy until he realised the importance of the tournament while playing at the U-23 level.
"When I started playing at the U-19 level, I knew about the Ranji Trophy. Till I was 23, I didn't have too much interest to play in the tournament. Once I crossed 23, all age group tournaments were over and that's when I realised I had to take it seriously," he said.
No secure job and cricket going nowhere - two major burdens
After turning 23, KV Siddharth had no more age-based cricket left to play, and the only opportunity he had was to impress during the Thimmapiah Memorial Tournament.
However, without a job to bank on, the domestic greenhorn soon found himself in muddled waters. And yet, 2018 was a turning point in KV Siddharth's career.
Despite issues on the job front, the talented batter invested his time into fine-tuning his skill and poured multiple hours into strengthening his cricketing skills. His never-say-die attitude bore fruit towards the end of 2018 when he landed a job with Canara Bank which helped him concentrate more on his cricket.
Soon, a double century against DY Patil Cricket Academy saw his name do the rounds in the Karnataka cricket fraternity. And yet, despite scoring runs in the Thimmapiah tournament and registering three hundreds from five games in the YS Ramaswamy Memorial Tournament, KV Siddharth was not picked in the state ODI squad.
The right-hander also recalls a time when his brother called him up and asked him to read Mayank Agarwal's interview, in which the India opener spoke about playing 1000 balls a day to practice. That's when KV Siddharth realised that he needed to add more intensity to his training.
Keeping a positive outlook throughout, KV Siddharth had his moment to celebrate early in November when his good mate Dega Nischal rang him up to give him the news of his selection in the Ranji team for the 2018-19 season.
"I was watching TV, Nischal called me and said I was in the team. I was continuously refreshing KSCA's official page on Facebook to see if they announced the squad. I finally figured it out and it's still a great memory for me," the ace batsman recalls.
Walking into a team boasting of an array of superstars was never going to be an easy task, but KV Siddharth's eyes were set on making the most of opportunities that came his way.
Despite big names such as KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal forming the core of Karnataka's batting, KV Siddharth says his aim was to play his natural game to maintain a positive mental space.
As for his style of play, the right-hander is known for his flamboyant approach to batting and credits Karnataka coach Yere Goud for helping him out. Not one to bank on the scoops, reverse sweeps and a whole lot of innovation, KV Siddharth claims that his trust in a textbook cricket approach is a good strength of his.
"In 2018, I worked really hard and understood my game. I knew I was not a slogger, I had to figure out a way to score runs. I realised I am not a big hitter of the ball, and my focus was on timing and threading the gaps," he said.
"I worked on fine tuning my strengths and converting weaknesses into strengths. It's not like I don't know how to play the big shots, if I must, I will. I trust my batting a lot, and I know that if I back my shots, it will work for me," he added.
Having played cricket since 2nd standard, KV Siddharth has grown up watching a number of cricketers, but narrows down his inspiration as former India captain, MS Dhoni. However, he also sheds light on how his Karnataka teammates are always around to help him, and apart from them, his entire family has always been a constant source of support.
And this support was what kept him going even in 2019, the year in which he made his T20 debut (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and List A debut (Vijay Hazare Trophy) for Karnataka.
KV Siddharth translated his rich form in the early months of 2019 to the Karnataka Premier League, where he finished as the highest run-getter for the Mysuru Warriors with 248 runs from six matches. The right-hander reminisces how he quietened his critics with his performance in the KPL.
"In the previous seasons of KPL, I hadn't proven my worth. People thought I wasn’t good enough for T20. I took that up as a challenge and worked on my game. The desire in me to succeed pushed me to work harder. Irfan Sir helped me a lot and whenever I called him even during the night and told him I wanted to bat under lights, he was always ready to help me out," KV Siddharth said.
And yet, despite impressive performances for 2-3 months and in the KPL, the then 26-year-old was not picked in the IPL auction. However, KV Siddharth reckons that he's always been a happy-go-lucky character, and he's willing to wait for his chances.
Comeback from a serious shoulder injury
In September 2019, just as KV Siddharth was enjoying his cricket and was in a good mental space, he picked up a serious shoulder injury and was sidelined for 2-3 months. And while he knew that he was going to be out of action for a long time, he chose not to sulk about the injury, and instead remained positive.
The ace batter turns the clock back to the injury and acknowledges the contributions of the main men who were involved in fast-tracking his recovery.
"The first month I could not do anything, I could not move my shoulder or even lift it. I was feeling tremendous pain. Prabhu Sir helped me initially but he had to go for Ranji duties. That's when I joined NCA. Rahul Sir, Shravan and my trainer Vivek helped me recover very quickly," he said.
"I was there from 7 AM in the morning to 4 PM in the evening for close to a month and a half. In the morning I would do my rehabilitation, afternoon was gym and evening net session. Mansoor Ali Khan Sir helped me with my net sessions," KV Siddharth added.
Return to churning out gritty knocks post injury
Post injury, KV Siddharth could not get too many runs against Saurashtra or Railways. However, a 70-run knock against Madhya Pradesh gave him the required push and the feeling that he was 'in the zone'.
However, against Baroda, he got a bad cut on his right index finger that he claims needed stitching. And yet, despite the pain, KV Siddharth battled through the injury to put up what he rates as one of his most memorable knocks.
"I knew I could not afford to miss out on more matches. We were chasing 160 against Baroda, and I told them I wanted to bat. I knew that there was a chance I could've been dropped if I chose to sit out. So I went out to bat, scored 35* and we won. That knock will be very very close to me," he recalled.
The gritty knock against Baroda and twin half-centuries against Jammu & Kashmir were a testament to KV Siddharth's handbook of playing cricket - work hard, put in the efforts and grind it out the best way you can.
Currently, with the coronavirus putting a hold on his training sessions in the stadium, KV Siddharth is keeping in touch with the sport through some shadow practice and fitness drills at home.
For when the situation clears and the grounds open up for cricketing action, Karnataka fans will yet again pin their hopes on a quality knock from KV Siddharth. And as for the star cricketer himself, he will return to a tried and tested formula - work hard, play hard and keep it simple.