In this crisp and amusing piece, Biyas Muhammed writes about the HS15 Cricket Team, its journey in the Tournament so far, and what to expect from the team in this edition of the Tournament three years after their smashing victory against Team HS13.
HS15’s best chance to progress to the Semi Finals
Captain: Aswin Prabhakar
In the last 4 editions of the Prem Ranjan Tournament, there has only been one upset. When that match unfolded, Athul Muraleedharan was still at school, Hardik Pandya was yet to make his ODI debut and Avishek Parui hadn’t joined the department. On that day, a young HS15 batch delivered a major shocker by defeating HS13, one of the decided tournament favourites. Three years have passed since that epic and it is hard to digest that HS15 hasn’t won a match after their first triumph. Will they be able to turn the tables this time around?
Last year’s story: Knocked out in group stage
Facing the (then) defending champions, the Scholars in the first match, HS15’s batting collapsed big time as none of the top order batsmen managed to get going. They lost 6 wickets by the end of the fifth over. A counter attacking innings from Deva down the order helped the team set a target of 78 in 10 overs. But, that was far from adequate as the Scholars chased down the target with 2 overs to spare. On the bowling front, Deva impressed everyone with his wicket-taking ability and Aswin maintained a good economy rate.
In the do or die encounter with HS16, HS15 repeated its batting collapse from the first match. Having lost 5 wickets by the end of the 5th over, it was Karnalius’s turn to be the hero. A well crafted 39 off just 20 deliveries from the power hitter meant that they put up a total of 82. A switch-hit straight boundary by Karna off Libin’s bowling still remains one of the most enthralling moments of the tournament. HS15 started off the defense in decent fashion and were in the game till the 5th over. The defining moment of the match was HS15 dropping the dangerous Athul Muraleedharan, not once but twice. When you drop a player of Athul’s stature, 9 out of 10 occasions, you won’t live to tell the tale.
The Team
With Aswin providing control, Karnalius delivering pace and Deva proving his mettle as a wicket taker, HS15 has a varied and solid bowling attack. It is their batting which has let them down in the recent past. A long batting line-up comprising Vimal, Aswin, Avinaash, Bitthal, Rathnika, Deva, Melwin and Karnalius has failed to deliver on most occasions. If one of the top three can anchor the innings and others can bat around him, they can put up a competitive total. Their bowling lineup is indeed capable of winning them matches with par scores on their day.
In the fielding department, HS15 needs to find a replacement for Avinaash as the Wicketkeeper. Though Avinaash is available for selection, a fractured finger has ruled him out from wicketkeeping. Vimal has the safest hands in the team and he will be stationed at long off or long on, waiting for the lofted straight drives.
Player to Watch Out For
It will be interesting to see how the team uses Karnalius. Karna has shown us glimpses of the impact he can create with the ball and bat. As HS15 is struggling to find the right combination with the bat, it needs to be seen if he will be entrusted with a more important role with the bat. All rounders can turn limited over matches on their head and Karna could be the X Factor HS15 is looking for.
Final Thoughts
This is HS15’s best chance of progressing to the Knockouts. They play their group matches against HS17 and HS18, two of the most inexperienced teams in the competition. If they play well, they have the potential to top the group as well.
Slowly, HS15 are turning veterans in the tournament. Let’s see if they grow old like fine wine.
By Biyas Muhammed
Article 19 