Chennai: Vignesh S Iyer played for Junior Super Kings (JSK) in England. He was the man of the match in a game which was played against California Cricket Academy in the finals. JSK won 10 out of 11 matches.
A resident of Narumugai Apartment at Adambakkam, in the city, Vignesh, a class 12 student, speaks to āNews Todayā.
Q: How did your journey in cricket begin?
A: I started undergoing cricket coaching at Aadhi Chetty Cricket Academy when I was in class two. Now it is known as Adambakkam Cricket Academy.
My coaches were Janaki Raman and Hari Krishnan. My interest increased when I was in class four. The turning point in my life happened two years later.
My brother came across a camp conducted by Tamilnadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for under-12 and my father enrolled me for it. After a few days, I got a call from TNCA confirming my selection. I represented the district team in the under-14 category. When I started playing in under-16, I was not able to score well and thought of giving up. But my father, who had lot of confidence in me, asked me continue.
I stepped into under-19 in round-robin and scored a century. But this did not win me a seat at Tamilnadu Premier League (TNPL). After a few days, I got a call from my father who said that I got selected for JSK for 20-20 and one day tournament in England.
Q: Your experience in Junior Super Kings…
A: I managed to score century in the finals and was declared man of the match. Our mentor was Indian cricketer, Ambati Rayudu. He was friendly and helped us throughout.
He also shared several tips on how to win the match. My focus was to play well and make my team proud but I didnāt expect that I would score 100.
Q: Who is your inspiration?
A: My inspiration is AB de Villiers. I like him as a person as well as a cricketer. Though I have my favourite Indian players, I admire ABDās attitude, calmness and the way he plays. Each time his team loses, he accepts the defeat instead of blaming his team.
Q: How do you manage academics and sports?
A: I hardly go to school since I am playing all the time. But I manage to balance study and play with the help of my parents and friends. They are the ones who help and encourage me.
Vignesh can be reached at 9958889592.