C.M. Gautam.
| Picture Credit score: File photograph
Former Karnataka captain C.M. Gautam has taken the lengthy and arduous route again to First Class cricket. Gautam’s lengthy held want to put on the whites was fulfilled when he took the sector for Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Membership in Sri Lanka’s Main League Match.
The wicketkeeper-batter performed two matches for the membership in June, earlier than returning to Bengaluru because the match was paused to accommodate the 2023 Lanka Premier League.
Gautam, 37, will fly to Sri Lanka on Wednesday, to finish his Main League Match season.
Just a little over three years in the past, Gautam was amongst these chargesheeted in connection to corruption allegations within the 2019 Karnataka Premier League.
Stumbling block
The case put a halt to Gautam’s profession. He final represented Karnataka in October 2019, in a Listing A recreation towards Goa.
In early 2022, issues appeared up for Gautam when the Karnataka Excessive Court docket quashed the chargesheet. This cleared the best way for his re-entry into official cricket.
Even throughout these powerful instances, Gautam held on to the dream.
“Even in my worst interval, I used to be motivated to get again to taking part in at a excessive stage. I had one thing to show,” Gautam informed The Hindu right here on Monday.
“The starvation to play cricket by no means went away. I visualised taking part in First Class cricket, be it within the Ranji Trophy or elsewhere. I’ve performed matches for Financial institution of Baroda — I’ve stored in contact with the sport. Bodily I’m nonetheless in fine condition. It feels nice to be again,” Gautam added.
Excessive normal
On competing in Sri Lanka, Gautam mentioned, “The usual may be very excessive. It’s a problem to adapt to the brand new circumstances.”
Gautam was a standout performer throughout codecs in his 11-year profession with the Karnataka senior workforce. He typically rescued the facet with stellar performances with the bat, and his clear wicketkeeping and rallying calls from behind the stumps made him an asset.
He struck a career-high unbeaten 264 towards Maharashtra within the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy — a season the place he completed because the second-highest run-scorer of the match.
Integral half
Gautam was an integral a part of the Karnataka workforce which twice received three home titles in a single season (2013-14 and 2014-15).
These highlights could also be a decade previous, however Gautam is assured that he nonetheless has a lot to supply.