Badrinath

Calcutta: Subramaniam Badrinath has been unlucky so far in donning national colours. He has been among the leading rungetters every season, but is yet to come under the national selectors’ radar. A good show in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), however, will go a long way in helping him achieving the dream, feels the Chennai Super Kings’ batsman.

After the departure of foreigners Michael Hussey and Matthew Hayden, Badrinath has been the mainstay of the Super Kings’ batting line-up, averaging 46 among Chennai batsmen after his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (47-plus).

But he’s not looking at the averages. His focus is on putting up a good show every time he goes out to bat.

“It’s almost like international cricket… Most of the world class players are here and moreover, everyone — including the selectors — are watching the tournament keenly. A performance here will definitely make a difference,” the 27-year-old told The Telegraph after a rigorous two-and-half hour practice session at the Eden on Friday.

They will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders, in their return leg match on Sunday.

“It will be a tough match for both the teams… They have a good bowling line-up with Shoaib Akhtar and Ishant Sharma in their roster but we’ve the ammunition to counterattack. Mentally, I’ve to be prepared (facing Shoaib), though I’ve no specific plan for him. I’ll try and react on the field,” Badrinath said.

Sharing the dressing room with the likes of Muttiah Muralidharan, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and of course the highest-paid IPL player, Dhoni, has been a learning experience.

“I enjoyed quite a lot talking to Michael Hussey… I spared a lot of time talking to him. He is very supportive and told me how to approach a situation in a match. I’m a keen follower of his game,” he added.