Date:23/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/23/stories/2008122361461800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Rohan Prem — waiting for a break

M.R. Praveen Chandran

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

Rohan Prem.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When a four-year-old child in oversized flannels and cricket gear waited for his turn at the nets at the Medical College ground, the lingering feeling then was that the kid was being pushed too hard by his over ambitious father.

But Prem Bhasan was unperturbed and he always wanted his son, named after his favourite cricketer Rohan Kanhai, to be a cricketer. It was Prem Bhasan’s perseverance that led the Kerala Sports Council coach late P. Sreekumar to allow young Rohan Prem to be a regular at the RCC nets.

The baby of the nets, who struggled to lift his bat to pat back balls thrown at him, has now grown on to become ‘Mr. Dependable’ of Kerala Cricket.

The 22-year-old struck a purple patch in this year’s Ranji plate division league scoring 416 runs (average 83.20 runs) which included three centuries. He scored match-winning hundreds against Jharkhand (109) and Jammu & Kashmir (124 not out). But Rohan reckons the century (138) he scored against Goa as his best knock of the season. “The wicket was difficult to bat on and we were under a bit of pressure to overhaul Goa’s huge first innings score. I had a good partnership with Sreekumar Nair which enabled us to get the first innings lead,” he said.

Rohan’s consistent batting was one of the high points of what was otherwise a disappointing show by the Kerala Ranji Trophy team. Rohan was also the most consistent batsmen for Kerala in the 2007-08 season in which he scored 356 runs including a century against Gujarat. Last season he became only the third Kerala batsman to score a double century in first class cricket when he scored an unbeaten 203 against Delhi in the super league of the Col. C.K. Nayandu Under-22 cricket tournament.

Rohan now has the highest career average (43.16) among all Ranji Trophy players who have scored more than 1,000 runs for Kerala. Rohan himself completed 1,000 runs during his knock of 109 against Jharkhand which was his 17th match.

“There has not been any remarkable change in my technique. But I have become more confident in my ability and has played my strokes more freely,” he said. Rohan was part of the KCA’s development squad to Australia earlier this year. Rohan says his fitness improved after the Australian trip. Rohan, who works for Railways, is pinning his hopes on the Duleep Trophy. “I was in the list of standbyes last season. But this season I am hoping to be selected for the main team, I am also looking forward to the Ranji one-day tournament and hopes to carry on my good form,” he said.

Rohan’s Ranji Trophy performances had Kolkata Knight Riders interested and they have invited him to attend the trials in the first week of January.

Two of his teammates in the India under-17 squad — Piyush Chawla and Rohit Sharma— have gone on to play for the India senior team while some have made their mark with the ‘A’ team. But Rohan is realistic and hopes his consistency will be rewarded one day in the none-too-distant future.