Amidst the lockdown and impact of Covid-19, Cricheroes tries to know how cricketers are actually spending their time. We will also reflect on their journey, their ups and downs and a lot. So sit back and relax as the Saurashtra opener is our first guest. He made healthy contributions of 54 and 39 runs in Saurashtra's winning final of Ranji Trophy 2019-2020. For a guy who has a long journey, we will try to dig in his life and also know how 27-year old Avi Barot is utilising time during the lockdown.
Here are the excerpts from an exclusive interview between Avi Barot and Meet Shah...
First of all, congratulations to you and Saurashtra Cricket Association for winning the Ranji Trophy this year. It was a thrilling final match against West Bengal. Last year as well SCA reached the finals but could not win it. Your contributions of 54 & 39 in the Finals was very crucial to give a good start to your most important game of the year.
So, How did you prepare yourself for the Ranji Finals?
Nothing special, I just did what I was doing in season, we know the conditions well and how to play on Rajkot wicket. Along with that, I also saw some videos of bengal players and as a team Jaydev Unadkat and Cheteshwar Bhai was a big help for me, they told us to play this match, as a normal league match. We have been in the final four times so that also helped me and the team. I know that it is very important to play the new ball well, if we can do that, we have players who can play long innings. So I and Harvik talked about it and things went well. I took that match as a normal match that helped me a lot.
How did you start your career and who encouraged you to do that? My cricketing journey started when I was 11 years old, I was associated with Hiramani School, known for providing a platform to cricketers. Our batch was an appreciable one, it produced cricketers like Harshal Patel and Priyank Panchal who later on played on upper levels like Ranji Trophy and IPL. The structure in Gujarat is really good, you perform well in school cricket, you get selected for district level, then you get selected for Gujarat state camp if you perform well at district level. It is a great path from junior level to senior level which helps you to improve and learn a lot. My father supported me like a pillar in my initial days and it really helped me get going.
What was the turning point in your journey where you felt you can play professionally and make it your career? I was leading the Gujarat U15 state team and made many runs in the first year. Then came the turning point, when I got a call from National Cricket Academy, Bangalore. From there on I decided to take cricket more seriously and make it a profession.
As a player, how did you find the transformation of the game from junior level to senior level? What is there at Senior level which you have not faced at Junior level? When you play one level up, you have to make changes in your game, you have to think what difference there will be from junior level to senior level. The biggest difference is you have to be consistent at higher levels. There are not a lot of experienced players at lower levels, but at upper levels, there is a lot of experience, players know what change they have to make in a particular situation. Mindset is the biggest change when we move to upper levels.
Who has been your mentor during Junior to Senior Cricket Transformation? There are a lot of people who have guided me during my journey. My special thanks to coach Tejas Varsani who guided me during my U/19 and U/22 days, in fact, till now I take advice from him. Whenever I am stuck in technique or any tough situation, Varsani Sir is my go to person.
You have experienced almost every segment of the game including opening the batting, wicket-keeping and captaincy, please share your experience and views about different roles.
If I talk about Batting, balance, head position and mindset are the most fundamental things which can help. If you keep these three things in mind, you can succeed in any format and at any level. For Wicket-Keeping, one should not be disappointed after dropping a catch, it is part of the game. We take catches, we drop catches. We should not be demotivated, always concentrate on the next ball. For a Captain, it is very important to follow instincts. Along with that, you should be fully committed to your decision, it can't be half-hearted. Sometimes it goes in favour of you, sometimes it doesn't, that's how it goes, we can't regret later.
Which is your favourite format ? Without any doubt, I enjoy playing test cricket. In fact, if you ask any player, he will say test cricket. Because test cricket is the ultimate format of the game, your real character is tested in test cricket only. In test cricket, you learn how to handle different situations, you have to come the next day as well and you can’t leave the game. To me, it is the best format. I believe, If your basics are good, you can perform in any format.
If we talk about your role, Wicket Keeping is an Art which requires a lot of hard work, quick reflections and stamina. Who guided you to start wicket-keeping? And how did that decision help you in your career?
In my initial days, I was not a keeper, I used to bowl. But my catching was good, so one day my coach, Qureshi sir asked me to keep once, then I suddenly fell in love with keeping. I started to keep in school cricket. It’s basically upto the coaches, they have more idea about their students, so he guided for me to keep and I am all happy about it. Yes, keeping requires a lot of stamina, especially when its a test match. So, one gets used to it after time and it becomes easier by every passing game.
What is your best memory as captain? It is the match when I was leading the U-19 West Zone. We had to defend 3 runs in the last over, I gave the ball to an inexperienced left-arm pacer. We were able to tie the match. Though, we did not win that game but we neither lost it. So, it is a good memory for me.
Who are your favourite batting partners? My Saurashtra’s fellow Arpit Vasavada is the one who has good understanding with me. We both share healthy chemistry between us, our running between the wicket is also good. We have played together office cricket and at district level as well. Apart from him, I also enjoy batting with Priyank Panchal, Manpreet Juneja, Bhargav Merai and Smit Patel.
What is your favorite batting shot? I have always liked to play cover drive since my grassroot days. It has been a special shot for me.
According to you, what is more important, Hard work or Luck ? Hard Work to me is more important, luck gives us opportunity but if you are not prepared for opportunity, you can't succeed. And you can be prepared by doing hard work only. If you trust yourself and believe in your game, luck will automatically favour you.
It must have been a great journey for you from Grassroot to U-19 India and then Ranji Trophy Champions.But were there any setbacks during your journey and how did you overcome?
I played U/15, U/17, U/19 and U/22 for Gujarat. I represented the Gujarat Ranji team as well. Then I shifted to Haryana and then to Saurashtra for more opportunities. Definitely there comes time when you are down. I have been hit by injuries many times in my life, during this season also I wasn’t able to participate in a couple of tournaments. Last year also, I got injured just two days before. I can say Saurashtra is one of the few associations which supports its players immensely. I also thank physio Abhishek Kakkar for his support to me during my injuries.
Currently, we all are facing Global Pandemic and almost everything is locked down. How do you practice and keep yourself fit during this time? It is a golden time for us to utilise this time to analyse our game and build mental toughness. You can develop your fitness by doing exercise. You should watch videos of your ideals, how they approach their game. We can work on our game and improve it after analysing our flaws.
What is your goto motivation when you feel down? I always say to myself, I am representing the state and will play for India and IPL in future, that keeps my spirit high. I put more effort in my practice sessions. Also you can watch videos and read books when you feel down.
So, what else then Cricket? If not on Cricket Ground, where can we find Avi? I love watching comedy and spy movies and never miss a movie when we are off the field. Whenever I feel stressed I go for spy movies. Currently I am watching Money Heist.
Money Heist is trending in India, Who is your favourite character and do you see anyone from your team having the same role? My favourite character is Professor. I can relate Professor to Jaidev Unadkat. Jaidev has a solution to every problem, he supports every member of the team and he plans things really well. So he perfectly fits for the role of Professor.
Thank you Avi for your time and joining us in this segment.
Avi Barot has always been an asset for his respective team he has played for. He has achieved many things and many yet to come. From being awarded with U/19 Player of the Year Award in 2009-10 to becoming the Ranji Trophy champion, his journey has been an inspiration for every individual who aspires to play at the highest level. Be it opening the batting, keeping the wickets or leading the side, Barot has always come forward and delivered. He has a lot of experience in captaincy as he has led Gujarat at U/15, U/17, U/19 and U/22 levels to go with his attacking approach in batting which provides an extra edge over the opponent. Avi Barot is a complete package sportsman and every team needs a player like him. On behalf of Cricheroes, I wish Avi all the best for his career. May he achieve all the success in his life and also hope he soon gets an opportunity to represent India. With this, we conclude our interview, goodbye and stay inside.
