There’s something undeniably special about the elegance of a left-hand batter. It almost seems effortless—graceful in every movement. Even when dismantling bowling attacks with ruthlessness, there’s a poetic quality to the stroke-play.
Tamil Nadu and IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans batter Tushar Raheja fits that mould to perfection.
It’s almost hard to believe that the explosive southpaw’s first love was tennis. He even took up coaching for it.
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“Interestingly, tennis was my first love. I was very keen on it. I even convinced my parents and joined a tennis academy for a few months. And then came the 2007 T20 World Cup, which India won, that’s when I started playing cricket—around the age of seven”, said Tushar in an exclusive interaction with Sportstar.
The 24-year-old, who has set this year’s TNPL ablaze, announced himself in style by dismantling Chepauk Super Gillies for a 43-ball 79 at a strike rate of 183.72. He followed it up with a ferocious 65 off 39 balls, including five towering sixes, as his side thrashed Dindigul Dragons in just 11.5 overs in Coimbatore.
Raheja demolished Trichy Grand Cholas with a brutal 80 off 36 balls.
| Photo Credit:
LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E/THE HINDU
Raheja demolished Trichy Grand Cholas with a brutal 80 off 36 balls.
| Photo Credit:
LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E/THE HINDU
The carnage continued as the tournament moved to Salem. Tushar tore apart SKM Salem Spartans with a jaw-dropping 74 off just 28 deliveries—an eye-popping strike rate of 264.28.
He wasn’t done yet. The wicketkeeper-batter then demolished Trichy Grand Cholas with a brutal 80 off 36 balls, at a strike rate of 222.22.
Speaking about the mindset he carries into matches, Tushar shared his approach, “I try to stay as blank as possible. There’s a lot of preparation before the match—from visualisation to studying bowlers. I focus on reacting to what’s in front of me. I don’t worry much about the scoreboard because I know I can cover up for dot balls if needed.
“I’ve always had a free-flowing, positive style of batting. I like to take the attack to the bowler. I learned a lot about my game—especially in the T20 format—and worked on small but important areas like playing spin and making technical tweaks”.
Tushar made his domestic debut for Tamil Nadu in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2024.
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Reflecting on that experience, he said, “Transitioning from TNPL to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was a significant leap in terms of quality—you’re up against the best, including Indian and IPL-level players. I learned a lot just by observing their preparation and mindset. Being in a dressing room with such experienced players taught me more than any match could”.
Naturally, like any professional cricketer, Tushar harbours dreams of playing in the country’s premier domestic red-ball competition—the Ranji Trophy—and also getting picked by an IPL franchise. The 24-year-old was candid about his goal: “I want to cement my place in the Tamil Nadu team. I know I have a lot of work to do, my goal is to break into the Ranji Trophy side. I want to contribute in the red-ball format too and not just be a one-dimensional cricketer”.
He also acknowledged the pull of the IPL, “Of course, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it. It’s natural for any cricketer. But I’m trying not to let expectations take over. I want to stay focused on enjoying my cricket and taking it one game at a time”.
The southpaw also credited his parents, school and coaches, “I studied at Lady Andal School until 10th, and then moved to St. Bede’s purely for cricket. That was a major turning point. My parents were very supportive of that decision. I trained under Mr. Prabhu Balachandran initially, who played a key role. Now, for the past three years, I’ve been working with Mr. T.V. Ramkumar, who’s had a massive impact on my game—both technically and mentally,” he added.
An ardent admirer of Yuvraj Singh’s flair and Matthew Hayden’s dominance, Raheja has brought a blend of both to his fearless brand of batting, lighting up this season’s TNPL.
Calm in the mind yet ruthless with the bat, he signed off with a simple message: “When you enjoy what you’re doing, nothing else matters”.