Patient Kadam makes a point

Rohan Kadam had to wait for three years to don the Karnataka colours again after his List A debut in 2017. But the southpaw has made the wait worth it at the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

In his T20 debut for the State, Kadam has slammed three half-centuries to be Karnataka's top run-getter with 340 runs from seven games. While waiting in the wings, Kadam said, he didn't allow frustration to set in.

"You know there are so many good players in Karnataka so there is no point in getting frustrated. I just focused on good work ethics and consistently did things that were going right for me. I kept telling myself that things will fall in place," said Kadam on the sidelines of Karnataka's training session here on Tuesday ahead of the Mushtaq Ali Super League stage. Karnataka play Mumbai in the opener on Friday.

Striking at 133.85, the opener has given Karnataka strong starts. While Kadam slammed a 55-ball 81 against Bengal, he made a 51-ball 78 against Mizoram and a 59-ball 89 against Odisha.

"I came into the tournament with good confidence. I got a half-century in the DY Patil T20 Cup while I made a 45-ball century in the YSR tournament quarterfinals. My natural style is to attack and I have stuck to that. I trusted my instincts and it's paid off," said Kadam, who played his only Vijay Hazare game against Chattisgarh in 2017.

Hailing from Belagavi, Kadam moved to the city when he was 16-year-old. The 24-year-old thanked coach RX Murali for helping him polish his skills.

"I moved to Bengaluru for better cricket facilities. Herons was my first club and then I moved to Socials. Under RX sir I have changed my batting style a bit. I worked on power hitting and that's helped me succeed in T20s," he offered.

Kadam said he will maintain his attacking approach in the Super League. "I know we have to face tough opponents in the Super League. But there won't be any change in my plans. We have played well as a unit and that's why we produced an all-win record. In T20s, it's tough to predict the favourites but we are confident of doing well," he said.