Something special about Sodhi

It has often been lamented that India has not produced a genuine world class all rounder since Kapil Dev. While there have been some contenders for this role, most prominently Manoj Prabhakar and Robin Singh, they have not been able to fill the large shoes of Kapil. The excellent performance by young Reetinder Singh Sodhi in the recent limited-overs tournament in Zimbabwe might be an indication that the search for a good all rounder is finally at an end.

A talented and successful junior cricketer who captained India during the Under-15 World Cup win at Lord's in 1996, Sodhi seems destined for a long career as a member of the senior Indian team. He is a good batsman with a sound technique, who is capable of scoring runs consistently against international attacks. His natural aggression means he can score quickly too if required, especially in the one-day game (as he showed in the recent final against the West Indies). He is also very athletic, which makes him an excellent fielder, especially in the outfield; a quality that reminds many of the young Kapil Dev in the early 80s.

Perhaps the weakest part of Sodhi's game is his bowling, which is currently not penetrative enough to run through international sides. He could probably bowl faster with some work on his physique in the gym and some specialized coaching, but this is clearly the area where some serious work needs to be done in the near future. The Indian team management should arrange for Sodhi to spend some time at the MRF pace academy and/or even the Australian cricket academy. Young cricketers from around the world have become better and more well rounded after a stint at the best cricket academy in the world Down Under and Sodhi is probably our brightest prospect for the future; so we must do all we can to make sure he realises his enormous potential.

But over and above his cricketing credentials, which are undoubtedly impressive, Sodhi's greatest strength is his temperament and attitude. He is a hardworking young man, who understands the importance of fitness and stamina in the modern game. Sodhi's innings against the odds in Zimbabwe with only wicketkeeper Samir Dighe for support showed that he has the confidence in his own abilities and fighting spirit to win matches for India even at this young age.

The fact that he could not quite guide India to victory is something he needs to remember and try to correct in the future. But he does possess the fire in the belly as well as a cool head, and those are qualities that mark Reetinder Sodhi out as a man for a big occasion as well as a crisis.

Over the last few years, Sodhi has been the star, both as a captain and as a player in the most successful Indian junior team ever, and has tasted victory on the world stage. Thus he arrives to senior international cricket with the confidence that only success can provide; the selectors must be careful not to let that confidence disappear by dropping him in case there are some failures along the way.

Sodhi is already an automatic selection in the Indian one-day side. His future in the Test team is less certain though. His bowling is not yet good enough for him to be one of the four main strike bowlers. So, unlike Kapil Dev, he cannot be the seventh batsman in the side as that would mean India would have only three strike bowlers. He could probably slot into the Test team as the number six batsman, but there is tremendous competition for that spot from the likes of Hemang Badani and Yuvraj Singh.

Sodhi is clearly talented enough to work his way into the Test side but for that he must work on being at least as good a bowler as Jacques Kallis or Azhar Mahmood; he must be ambitious and determined enough to understand that he has to overcome his bowling limitations if he does not want to go the way of Robin Singh, being labelled as a one-day specialist.

For Indian cricket's sake, let us hope this budding young talent blossoms into a successful all-rounder for India in both Test and limited-overs cricket.

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Mail Vijay Sarma