Unity, friendship key to Jammu and Kashmir success: Ram Dayal Punia

The rise of Jammu and Kashmir cricket amidst seemingly never ending hardships is a heart-warming story. The likes of captain Parvez Rasool, Samiullah Beig and Ian Dev Singh Chauhan have come to exemplify what J&K cricket is all about, but there is one more vital cog in the wheel who is seldom talked about.

Allrounder Ram Dayal Punia's career-best 8 for 127 was pivotal in J&K's historic triumph over 40-time Ranji Trophy winners, Mumbai, in their first game of the 2014-15 season. He then went on to score a hundred against Baroda and took four wickets to help his team take three points from their third match. After the win over Mumbai, coach Sunil Joshi had said hat Punia is a trusted lieutenant to Rasool, and the fact that Punia has the second best batting average (44.50) and the best bowling average (22.31) in the team this season so far underlines his value.

Cricbuzz caught up with Punia after the Karnataka game in Hubli.

Excerpts:

That was a big loss. What went wrong?

We did not bat well. Scores of 160 and 233 against Karnataka is not competitive at all and also in the field we missed quite a few chances. We dropped [Robin] Uthappa twice, the first time on 50 and then he went on to score a century and again we dropped him. If we drop a player like Uthappa, it will cost us. We also were not able to check the run-flow at the other end. The pitch was good for bowling, but we did not hit the right areas, I felt. The pitch had a bit for the bowlers and they [Karnataka pacers] exploited it and got wickets.

But overall, you would say that the season is going well?

Yes, definitely, the team is doing well. The boys are playing well, so yes, the season is going well. We have three games remaining and will try for outright wins and hope to qualify for the knockouts.

J&K cricket has seen an exponential rise. How does it feel being a part of such a success story?

It feels good. Last year, we qualified from the Plate division [Group C] and this year we came to the Elite [Group A] and a lot people said we won't be able to do well. But the guys have put in a lot of effort and as a team, we are playing really well. The senior members of the team like Parvez [Rasool], Sami bhai [Samiullah Beig], Hardeep Singh, Ian have really stepped and are leading the way. I feel the younger lot have learned immensely from these guys. Like how they play the matches, their attitude towards the game; I personally have taken all their experience in and I am trying to apply it.

What has been the reason for this recent success?

In this team, except for Sami bhai and Hardeep, all the other players have been playing together since the Under-15 days. Starting right from Ian Dev, Adil Reshi, [Mohammed] Mudhasir, Parvez, Umar [Nazir] and our wicketkeeper Obaid [Haroon] - we all performed well in Under-15, Under-19, Under-22, and qualified in each of these age categories. We used to win a lot of matches then and this same bunch is now playing the Ranji Trophy. We all know each other really well. I know Adil will get us good starts at the top of the order and in the same manner he knows that I will get wickets and score runs down the order.

With Parvez, I have been playing since childhood. Against Baroda, when we both scored a hundred, it was not the first time I combined with him for a big partnership. We have got together for big stands overs 200 runs in an innings in U-19, U-22 ages groups. So that experience helps us to gel well. I have that confidence in him, and he also has the same confidence in and it is the same with the team as well.

Back in J&K, cricket happens only in Jammu and Srinagar and we all just clicked together. Three-four good guys came from Jammu and three-four from Srinagar and there were others coming in from age group cricket and some, who used to go around and play cricket, joined us. And we started doing well in league cricket and it just started from there.

How big was Bishan Singh Bedi's influence in the team as a coach before Sunil Joshi took over?

I feel the team that you see right now and the success were are enjoying, the first credit should go to Bishan Singh Bedi. When I debuted three years back, he was our coach and I was playing in the U-22 team. He saw me bowl at the nets and picked me for the Ranji Trophy and said I will play in the J&K team. The motivation he gave us, during his time as a coach, was immense and that is the reason why we started doing so well.

Under Bedi sir, we defeated Hyderabad, who were a good team, and in my second, if it was not for the last two games, which were washed out, we would have qualified. In my third season we did qualify and now were playing in the elite division. Personally for me, Bedi sir has had a big influence. I always talk to him and he motivates me every time. Earlier I used to feel, this and that player is big player and it will be tough to play against him, but now I don't get scared by their names and it is all because of the way he motivates.

What was the game plan ahead of the season, especially after things got tough with the floods in September?

This year, because of the floods we could not do anything, the situation was really bad. We held short camps, first in Mohali and then Kanpur. The plan was to start the one-day tournament [Vijay Hazare] well and we did. The North Zone sides in one-dayers are mostly Elite teams like Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal are really good too, and after beating these teams we got the belief. We almost qualified and confidence was sky high and we knew that we will do well in the Ranji Trophy, and then the Mumbai game happened for everyone to see.

Who do you look up to the most in the team?

There are three players I talk cricket and they tell me a lot about the game. First is Parvez, who always motivates me and tells me to play positive cricket. He always says that there is no big or small player; all are the same with two hands and two legs. He tells me to play with full heart and passion.

Second is Sami bhai. This was his 50th first-class game and he has been serving J&K cricket for a long time. He is a legend for us. He is a fighter who always puts his team first. I am always in touch with him regarding my bowling. Then there is Ian Dev Singh. As far as I am concerned, he is the best batsman of our team and whatever be the situation his class shines through. I talk to him about batting, game situation and he gives me a lot of input.

Tell us a bit about how you started out playing cricket

My dad, Shir Gopal Punia, used to play Saturday league cricket and he had the passion for the game. I used to watch him play and used to accompany him and I picked up cricket like that. I was always an allrounder. When I used to play junior cricket, I used to bat mostly. Then, while playing in the U-17 team, Javagal Srinath came to Srinagar with the MRF Pace Academy team and he wanted to take a few pace bowlers back to Chennai for coaching. Srinath sir picked me and from there onwards, I got the tag of a bowling allrounder. But, I still believe am a genuine allrounder and I can do whatever the team asks me to do. Nowadays, because club cricket is not that big in J-K, I play league cricket all over India, such as in Goa and Chennai, and Ive played a few games in Delhi as well.

What was your goal coming into the season?

The personal goal for me is to take maximum wickets. I have been doing consistently well in the last couple of seasons. Around 30 wickets each season, and I want to do even better. I feel the selectors take more interest in Elite division games than games played in the Plate division, and I want to be consistent at this level and build from there. Probably a chance to play in IPL and India A team.

How do you feel watching youngsters doing well in IPL? Being an allrounder, you are a perfect fit for the T20 format.

Well, I don't think that much and don't react much. I always felt that J-K is a small state so that is why we don't get picked in IPL. But I don't react to that. I concentrate on my matches and try to accept whatever happens in life. I have faith in the almighty and whatever he does, that would be for the good only.

Being an allrounder must be quite taxing on the body, especially with the amount of cricket played these days. How do you maintain your fitness?

As an allrounder it is really tough to maintain fitness. You bat for long periods and then come on to bowl. Fitness takes a toll, but for me talking to the doctor and keeping a tab on my diet helps a lot to maintain fitness. Like what I eat in warm places or in colder regions, the amount of water intake; I am always in touch with our team doctor and I try to follow whatever he says. Earlier we used to play five Ranji matches, now we are playing around eight matches and then knockouts if we make it. And, with time I have got some idea how to sustain myself throughout the season.