Not just hundreds, Tanmay Agarwal now deals in ‘big hundreds’

Not just hundreds, Tanmay Agarwal now deals in ‘big hundreds’

Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal is having a season to remember in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy.

Tanmay, the leading run-scorer in the tournament ahead of the final set of fixtures, scored his second successive hundred following the resumption of the competition after the white-ball break.

“The season didn’t start well for me, but after the second game, I picked up, self-assessed and realised what to do,” the batter told  Sportstar at the end of the second day’s play against Vidarbha. 

“One day you are on top, one day you are at the bottom, what matters is how you play for the team,” he added, playing down his position in the run-scoring charts.

Tanmay has managed to convert his four hundreds this season into big ones, recording a highest score of 177 against Himachal Pradesh last time round. The left-hander acknowledged the work put in to ensure he doesn’t give his wicket away after reaching the three-figure mark. 

“If you look at my previous hundreds, they were just 120s, 130s or 110s. This was definitely on my mind before the season, to work on fitness and to get big hundreds,” the Hyderabad batter said. 

Now in his tenth year in First Class cricket, Tanmay has been a solid rock at the top of the order for his state, aggregating over 4800 runs at an average close to 46. The 29-year-old, however, says he doesn’t think about the responsibility of being one of the senior figures in the team.

“It’s an additional pressure which I don’t want to take. When I get a chance, I try to play to the best of my ability. When you play, you just focus on your task and try to fulfil it. I think that’s more important,” he reckoned. 

The southpaw’s nonchalant 136-run knock against Vidarbha helped his team take a formidable lead, putting it in a promising position ahead of the third day’s play. Tanmay believes his team can sign off from the tournament on a high if he restricts the opposition to under 300. 

“The wicket looks good. There is something in it for the fast bowlers and I believe it might turn tomorrow as well. If we restrict Vidarbha to around 250-300, I think we have a good chance,” he added.