Seventh wonder

CHENNAI: Alwarpet CC opener R Vimal Khumar recently achieved a rare feat when he became only the seventh batter in the Rajah of Palayampatti Shield (TNCA First Division) history to score a triple hundred.

The left-handed Vimal reached the milestone on the second day of the ninth-round contest against India Pistons CC at the CPT-IP (Turf) Ground here.

The 20-year-old Vimal, who stood unconquered on 182 at close of play on the opening day of the three-day match, smashed an unbeaten 318 (367 balls, 32 fours, 7 sixes) in the first essay as Alwarpet pocketed a crucial five points from the drawn game (thanks to its first-innings lead).

By hitting the magical mark, Vimal not only joined the elite ‘300 & above’ club that also consists of India internationals Dinesh Karthik and Sadagopan Ramesh but also helped his team’s cause in the relegation battle. Alwarpet is currently eighth on the table with 19 points from nine matches, six points above the drop zone.

“The match was very important for our team. The pitch was very good to bat on. My teammates and coaches stressed how important it was to take our team to a decent total. It was important for me to play through the innings once I settled down,” Vimal, who has represented Tamil Nadu across various age groups, told DT Next.

“At the end of the first day, my teammates told me to score big so that we could get to a total which would put us in a good position to get five points from the match. It gave me extra motivation to keep going and not play silly shots,” added Vimal, whose magnificent knock propelled Alwarpet to a commanding score of 598 for four declared.

Vimal said that he bided his time at the start before going after the opposition bowlers, especially left-arm spinner Rajwinder Singh. “The first hour was the most difficult phase as there was juice in the wicket (pitch) initially. India Pistons won the toss and asked us to bat because of the grass on the pitch. I had to leave a lot of balls in the first hour. Once I settled down, I tried to target Rajwinder since he was the rival’s top bowler. I wanted to put him under pressure so that it would be easier for me to play the other bowlers.”

Good red-ball season so far

Vimal is the second-highest scorer in the ongoing red-ball season, only behind Jolly Rovers CC batter B Sai Sudharsan. He has scored a bucketload of runs, including a double century against Madras CC at VB Nest in the seventh round, since the restart of the League.

“The [recent] performances have been much better than the ones in the first half of the season. My ultimate aim is to play for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy. I would like to play as soon as possible. It is something that is going on in my mind,” he said. If Vimal continues to let his bat do the talking, he cannot be ignored.