Siddharth, TN’s Mani in the bank

In his debut campaign, during which the state side finished runner-up, Siddharth ran riot with the ball, scalping 12 wickets in just five matches. But in the subsequent edition of SMAT that concluded recently, the 22-year-old Siddharth, a member of a team which has a plethora of spinners, couldn’t break into the eleven until the final.

Despite making his first appearance this season in such a high-profile fixture, the left-arm orthodox bowler set the pace against Baroda in Ahmedabad last Sunday. Sharing the new-ball duties with fellow finger spinners Baba Aparajith and R Sai Kishore, Siddharth broke the back of the Baroda batting line-up on a slow turner.

He finished with tournament-winning figures of four for 20 off his allotment of four overs and picked up the Man of the Final award. With Dinesh Karthik and Co eventually sealing the title with a seven-wicket success, it looks as if Tamil Nadu saved its best for the last. During an interaction with DT Next on Tuesday, Siddharth relived his memorable spell.

“I did not have the best of starts as I bowled a no-ball and conceded a couple of boundaries. After going for a few runs in my first over, I focussed on pulling things back. I managed to pick up wickets at regular intervals, which turned out to be crucial,” said Siddharth, who represents Chepauk Super Gillies (CSG) in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

“I am delighted to have been a part of the winning team. I will never forget my Man of the Match performance. I am extremely happy to have contributed to the team’s cause.” Asked if he was under any kind of pressure leading up to the decider, Siddharth responded: “I was not. I was actually keen on performing well. Only that was running in my mind.”

Brought into the attack in the fourth over of the first innings, Siddharth sent four of the top-seven Baroda batsmen back to the pavilion with his brilliant variations. He credited the management and his team-mates for his instant impact in the competition.

“Although I didn’t play a lot of matches, the support staff and players backed me. They asked me to be ready for the opportunity. Even during the time when I didn’t get games, I practised a lot. I followed my routines and made no changes,” explained Siddharth.