From land of hockey to cricket stardom, Vidwath Kaverappa takes seven-star route
Vidwath Kaverappa entered the Karnataka pace bowling landscape in a rather tough period after the departure of stalwarts such as R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Arvind.
It might have been tough for a 24-year-old to learn the tricks of the trade almost on his own.
But now, Vidwath has established himself as his the state team's spearhead and a potential candidate to fill an India spot. In the previous Ranji Trophy season (2022-23) Vidwath bagged 30 wickets, and he has already picked up 14 wickets from three innings in the on-going Duleep Trophy.
The numbers give the picture of a young man who is a quick learner and a keen observer. Vidwath emphasised those aspects as his strong points.
The Karnataka right-arm pacer said he has been absorbing lessons from watching the footage of South African legend Dale Steyn and veteran India bowler Mohammed Shami.
“Since I don't have the express pace, like Prasidh (Krishna) or Vysakh (Vijayakumar), I need to seek other ways to get purchase from the wicket. So, that's something I've watched great bowlers like Dale Steyn or Mohammed Shami do,” he said.
Vidwath said he has been trying to copy the seam position of those two fine bowlers.
“I have seen a lot of moments of their bowling. So, I can see how good the seam presentation is and what the ball does, even in white ball. So, why not do it in the red ball with a prominent seam, and I know I'll get a lot more help with it,” he said.
Vidwath has shown that trait all along, even from his junior days for Lions Institutions in Gonikoppal, Coorg, and Presidency College in Bengaluru.
Samuel Jayaraj, a KSCA coach who imparted him the first lessons, remembered watching him in Coorg eight years ago during a talent hunt drive by the state association.
Back then he was pleasantly surprised to see the spirited reaction from youngsters to the camp as Coorg is the stronghold of hockey.
“Vidwath had come as an attentive kid. He never gets tired of bowling at nets and wanted to learn as much as he could. He is a natural bowler and athlete.
“Coming from Coorg, he had that natural aptitude for sports. We just have to give him direction once I saw him during that trial. We were convinced that Vidwath would be an asset to the Karnataka team, and if everything goes well, then even at a higher level,” said Jayaraj.
It was not an empty praise as evidenced by future turn of events. In 2022, Vidwath finished as the second highest wicket-taker in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking 18 wickets from 8 matches at an impressive economy of 6.36.
The recognition of that effort came when Punjab Kings picked him up for the IPL 2023 from the mini-auction for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Though he did not play a game in this edition, Kings bowling coach Charl Langeveldt is convinced of his ward's potential
“The team combination is such that it is tough for every player to get a chance to be in the 11. In a tournament like IPL, matches come very fast and you really don't have time to tinker with 11.
“But this kid is talented and bowls at nets with a wonderful seam (position). He, I am sure, will feature in Punjab's scheme prominently very soon,” Langeveldt told PTI.
Vidwath knew the importance of waiting for his turn patiently after taking those bold initial steps.
“I feel like I'm learning from every game and that is important at this age for me. I knew even if I didn't get a chance into the big team this transitional period, my time will come."
“I've watched football a lot, so I know how in a great team new players come when old players leave, you need to be patient with them. So, I had to take my time and perform to the best of my abilities,” said Vidwath.
Vidwath indeed did that. He wrecked a power-packed West Zone batting unit with a seven-wicket haul. His victim list included players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw.
However, Vidwath, typical of him, did not try to wrap the performance in a magic cloak.
“I've always been the kind of guy who likes responsibilities, who likes to take up the heavy load and make the big moments for the team,” he said.
Perhaps, he knows bigger moments are on his way.
