In 2018, the India Under-19 team claimed its fourth junior World Cup title, beating Australia U19 in the final in Mount Maunganui in New Zealand. The victorious bunch has continued to be in the national limelight, some for off-field mishaps, others for successfully representing the nation at the highest level.
Nestled between these extremities of fame is wicketkeeper-batter Harvik Desai who has silently become one of the go-to men for Saurashtra in domestic cricket.
“That tournament was one of my best experiences. Even now when I see my teammates do well for the country it gives me great happiness and also motivates me to do well in domestic cricket knowing that I too will get a chance,” Harvik told Sportstar on the sidelines of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) in Ahmedabad.
Thrust into cricket by his dad at the age of eight as a means of disciplining a naughty kid in Bhavnagar, Harvik’s early foundation at the Sir Bhavsinghji Cricket Academy kept him in good stead as he rose from school and district-level cricket to representing the state in the U16 category.
Good performances in the Cooch Behar and Vinoo Mankad trophies opened the doors for representing India U19 in Sri Lanka and England after which he was picked in the squad for the World Cup.
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Now, aged 25, he has already notched up 50 appearances in First Class cricket and a further eighty caps in domestic white-ball tournaments, forming a core part of the Saurashtra setup.
“The Saurashtra team has an excellent cricketing culture. Even youngsters are allowed to give inputs and are given a platform to express themselves,” the opener said.
“When I came in after playing U19 cricket there was no distraction or obstacle to the way I play. Mai khulke khelta tha apna game [I used to play my game openly],” he added.
The Saurashtra opener hit the ground running for his side in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 78 and 46 on debut against Chhatisgarh in 2018. The season ended in despair for Harvik and Saurashtra though, as they ended up on the wrong side against Vidarbha in the final.
But, the following year, Harvik played a crucial hand in helping Saurashtra to its first Ranji Trophy title, finishing as the third-highest run-getter for the team behind Sheldon Jackson and Arpit Vasavada.
Harvik paid tribute to the leadership of Unadkat, who has led the team from the front in its most successful spell in history, bagging two Ranji Trophy crowns and one VHT title.
“He [Unadkat] shows his trust and motivates every single player in the team. He shows us the bigger picture and sets up goals to win tournaments,” the 25-year-old said. “His approach and attitude is very positive and that inspires us a lot.”
Harvik’s 336-run season in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) last year earned him an Indian Premier League contract with the Mumbai Indians (MI), albeit as an injury replacement.
“The first day in the dressing room felt like a dream. Am I sharing the room with these players?” Harvik said recounting his experience at the franchise. “It was an important moment in my life. Whenever I think of it I feel proud that I was able to represent myself at that big stage,” the wicketkeeper said.
“I had a great experience working with the coaches on fitness improvement, technical changes, how the big players prepare and their game plans,” he added.
Despite not making a single appearance for the franchise, Harvik says he takes back a lot of learnings from his time at MI, especially from skipper Hardik Pandya.
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“It was very comfortable to converse with Hardik bhai since he speaks the same language. He asked me to express myself without looking at who the bowler was or what the match situation was. ‘Whenever you go in, you have to win the match for the team’. That was my biggest lesson,” the opener said.
Another successful SMAT season followed this time round – the opener scored 323 in eight matches – but Saurashtra lost in the quarterfinal to eventual finalist Madhya Pradesh.
That remains one of Harvik’s goals for the future, winning that elusive SMAT Trophy to complete Saurashtra’s trophy cabinet. And, with more such performances at the top of the order he might be able to grace the IPL stage once again.