There was another element that made the title win ever so special. It was an important chapter in the story – return of the lost kid. A few years back, Ninan was the best off-spinning kid in the stables of Karnataka. Then somewhere along the line, that affable kid opted to play for Assam on the domestic circuit, and it was perceived as the end of his career as a Karnataka player.

But last season witnessed his return. Ninan proved his abilities have not declined, taking wickets by bagful in competitions ranging from South Zone under-22 to Moin-ud-Dowla Cup. The State captaincy, however, would have been the last thing on his mind. Ninan was naturally a bit surprised when he was appointed skipper of the Karnataka under-25 side for the PS Ram Mohan Rao Trophy in Goa.

“It was a bit surprising (the appointment as captain), but I was confident of doing well,” he said.
Even bigger surprises, albeit pleasant ones, were in store for Ninan in the tournament. Karnataka bagged the title without losing a single match, and under Ninan the State colts showed a big heart to successfully challenge adversities.

“Before the tournament, all of us thought of giving a good account of ourselves. But winning the championship without losing any match was really a pleasant experience. The team showed great fighting spirit and togetherness during the whole tournament and I think it was the biggest positive to come out of the event,” he said.

The tournament offered numerous situations that tested the mettle of the Karnataka youngsters. The match against Kerala was a prime example. Batting first, the eventual champions were bowled out for a paltry 158 and the writing was very much on the wall for them. They, however, did not lose heart. The bowlers, of course led by Ninan, steered Karnataka to a win that at one stage had seemed out of reach. Kerala batsmen never could counter them and folded up for 108. Ninan was the pick of the bowlers, picking up four wickets.
“The match against Kerala really tested us. It was a test of our character and fighting abilities and I am happy that we emerged winners,” Ninan said.

Ninan added that the whole tournament was tough. “The wickets were a bit sluggish throughout the tournament. I think the pitch was a bit under prepared for our last match against Tamil Nadu. It was tough for batsmen in the whole tournament, but they showed a lot of guts. The conditions were, no doubt, in favour of the bowlers, but still they needed to be spot on to get wickets and they did the job beautifully,” he said.

Good tournament

Personally too, the tournament was good for him. Ninan grabbed 14 wickets from four matches at an impressive 6.78 per wicket to spearhead Karnataka’s bowling. His best was 4-19 against Goa. “It was a good tournament for me. I got some wickets and was able to lead the side well and there was a lot of support from the guys,” he said. But was there any extra pressure on him?

“Captaincy in any format can put pressure on you. But there wasn’t any undue pressure on me. Fortunately, I had a bunch of dedicated and professional guys with me. The most important thing for us is to build on this and keep performing,” Ninan added.

The return of Ninan could not have come at a better time. After a modest season, Karnataka will look to bolster