Rasheed hones red-ball skills in TNCA First Division

CHENNAI: India Under-19 World Cup-winning vice-captain Shaik Rasheed, who is representing UFCC (T Nagar) CC in the TNCA First Division, said that the twoday competition serves as a great platform to hone his red-ball skills.

In his maiden season in Tamil Nadu’s top division, the 17-year-old Rasheed has thus far accumulated 175 runs in four innings. While the Guntur-based teenager began with a bang – smashing 153 against Grand Slam CC on debut – he fell cheaply in his next three outings.

“[Sridharan] Sharath sir (the chairman of the BCCI junior national selection panel) asked me if I would be interested in playing in the TNCA League. I told him: ‘Of course, I would be’. A few teams offered me contracts. I felt that playing under the India Cements umbrella [for UFCC] would be the best for me,” Rasheed, Yash Dhull’s deputy when India clinched the Under-19 WC crown in the West Indies earlier this year, told DT Next.

“I feel as if I am playing Ranji Trophy [matches]. The quality of bowling is good, so are the facilities. It has been nice to play here (in Chennai). I scored a hundred in my first match, so I felt happy that I have the ability to perform at the Ranji level. The team atmosphere is pretty good and I feel amazing to be part of the TNCA League. I have been gaining a lot of experience,” added Rasheed, who made his Ranji debut for Andhra a few months ago.

A new kid on the block, Rasheed stressed that he would need a bit more time to adjust to the new surroundings. “It has not been easy for me to adapt, so I would like to create a better bond with my teammates. I will have to gel better with them.”

Asked if he is chasing a shortterm goal while on duty in the TNCA League, Rasheed responded: “I have the hunger to score runs wherever I play. The [immediate] target is to score [plenty of] runs for my team (UFCC). That is it.”