Deshpande eyeing a breakthrough

For most of his career, Pavan Deshpande has been watching from the outside as Karnataka cricket touched some unprecedented heights. With the State team blessed with enormous batting resources, the soft-spoken left-hander has mostly missed the bus or done substitute duties when he made the trip.

Now with a couple of players busy with international duties and a few of them recovering from injuries, the door has opened slightly for the 28-year-old. Aware such chances may not come knocking again, the Dharwad-born Bengaluru-based player is determined to make the most in a season that's coming to an end.

In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, Deshpande has struck two back-to-back half-centuries -- the first a 51-ball 53 in a losing cause against Punjab and the second a brutal 37-ball 54 that saw Karnataka hammer Odisha. This follows a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy outing where he scored 116 runs in three games, including a half-century.

Deshpande acknowledged this is a make or break time for him. "Opportunities don't come easily in Karnataka team and when they come you have to make it count. It's extremely competitive. I knew I would get my chance and I'm just trying to cash in. In the meantime, I was working on my game and fitness.  

"I had the confidence that I will play well. My main aim this season is to make a breakthrough. I'm playing well and the confidence is there. I've been picked for Royal Challengers Bangalore too which itself is a major breakthrough for me. I'm looking to take that confidence forward."

Deshpande, who could not follow the IPL auction owing to a bank exam on the same day, said he is really looking forward to his stint with the three-time runners-up after being picked up for Rs 20 lakh. "I'm hopeful of playing some games because in the middle-order there are no left-handers. Obviously only when I join the team will I know where I stand."

When asked if he's thinking about using IPL as launchpad like so many domestic talents have done over the last decade, Deshpande chose to stay in the present. "My focus right now is Hazare. Once it's done I'll think about IPL. I come from Dharwad, a mofussil centre. I've realised that if you work hard, success will come eventually."