Karnataka all-rounder Manvanth Kumar (Image: @manvanthkumarl/Instagram)
We played for the Hubli Tigers, with Manish Pandey leading the team, and we won the championship that year.
That changed my cricketing career completely,” he says. “I like Ben Stokes, but if I have to name one idol, it would be Manish Pandey. I like him a lot. His attitude towards cricket and life in general has had a big influence on me.
He scored a fluent 135 after walking out to bat at No. 9, with his team reeling at 187/7 in the first innings. Manvanth caught everyone’s attention during Karnataka’s match against Saurashtra in the second round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy .
NEW DELHI: At just 22, Manvanth Kumar comes across as a grounded, self-aware cricketer who understands his game remarkably well. Because he told me to express myself, the credit goes to Vinay Kumar sir, the Karnataka coach,.
He encouraged us to take up cricket, and watching my brother play inspired me as well,” he says. Despite being at an early stage of his career, the Karnataka all-rounder has a clear sense of his strengths, his role in the team and the work required to take the next step. “It was a normal day for me. I just went out and played my natural game. So, I went out there and expressed myself. That’s all,” Kumar tells TimesofIndia.com from Mysuru, where Karnataka will take on Tripura from Monday. “Looking back, I feel good about my journey. I come from a middle-class family. My brother used to play cricket, and my father loved the game. “My father used to drive a bus for BMTC. He now takes care of a travel agency in Mysuru. He has always loved cricket. He didn’t necessarily want to play the game himself, but he loved watching it and encouraged us to watch it too. From a young age, he would tell us, ‘This is Sachin, this is Rahul Dravid. Watch them,'” he recalls. Among those who have played a particularly important role in his development is former Karnataka batter and coach Yere Goud, who recognised his potential during his early days in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL). “Yere Goud sir played a huge role in my career. He was the one who picked me at the auction in my first year of the Karnataka Premier League. He understood my game and knew what I needed to do.