Vijay Hazare Trophy: Carving a name down the order, Abhinav Manohar is savouring his time with Karnataka

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Carving a name down the order, Abhinav Manohar is savouring his time with Karnataka

The evolution of limited-overs cricket has led to the functional specialisation of batting roles rather than situational responsibilities. For Abhinav Manohar and his ilk, the evaluation of batting has become more about strike rates rather than the volume of runs scored.

Since his domestic debut in 2021, Manohar has carved a name as a lower-order power hitter, bludgeoning the bowling during his short vigils at the crease. In 42 T20s, the batter has scored runs at a strike rate of 149.07, with his six count matching that of the fours (47 each).

Despite having the ball-striking ability early, the 30-year-old was forced to develop into a finisher due to the lack of opportunities at the top of the order in a Karnataka team filled with domestic stalwarts.

“When I broke into the senior team, I didn’t get a chance to bat up the order. I was made to play five, six or seven. I’ve just been trying to work on my game ever since then and trying to fine-tune my batting based on what’s required for the team,” Manohar told Sportstar on the sidelines of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) in Ahmedabad.

Manohar has looked to attack the bowling every time he has been called on to bat in the tournament. Before the encounter against Saurashtra, he had failed to get going – except against minnow Arunachal Pradesh where he scored an unbeaten fifty, opening the batting.

But, the finisher played his role to perfection against the Jaydev Unadkat-led side, taking the game to the death before muscling a few out of the park to take the team to a match-winning score in a crucial game.

“You do feel low [when you get out for a low score]. It depends on how you get out. But the most important thing is, if a team backs you, then that helps a lot,” the batter said.

“And in this team, I’ve got that backing. They tell me to go out there and play my natural game no matter what. So, that eases the mind and helps me play freely.”

“It’s also about backing yourself as well. In the previous games, I didn’t get a big score, but the way I was striking the ball, I knew I was in form. It was just a matter of time before I converted that into runs,” he added.

The Karnataka batter says the ability to go hammer and tongs from ball one is influenced by many factors including the pitch condition, the bowler at the other end, the shots you can play and more.

“In today’s world, technology is such that you get to know what variations the bowler will bowl based on his previous game. So, reading all of that, you kind of get an idea of what the bowler can bowl. 50 per cent you can expect that to happen and the other 50 per cent is just reacting to the ball,” he explained.

While the T20 game demands striking from ball one, especially for those in the middle order, the fifty-over format provides a lot more time for the batters. Batters going too big too early often act as a detriment to the eventual total on the board and Manohar says the only way to crack the code is through experience.

“Do it out there once or twice to get an idea of how many balls you require to settle down and take a risk – I think I have figured that out. In some games, it doesn’t pay off because I get a little eager too early. But when I know that I can give myself a little more time and wait for the last few overs, that’s where I am most successful,” the right-hander opined.

Despite a lack of opportunities in the 2024 season, Manohar has had a successful stint at the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), playing two finals, and winning one.

“The GT franchise has been amazing. We reached two finals and apart from that the bond which I formed with all the players, support staff and coaches has been unbelievable,” the batter said.

At GT, Manohar had the chance to work under Ashish Nehra who has received plaudits for his man-management skills and ability to get the best out of every member of the squad.

“His thinking is very different. The way he reads the game is unbelievable but his main motto is to keep the game simple,” the 30-year-old said.

“In today’s world, we tend to complicate the game too much and try to do something which is not comfortable for us. He is someone who always says ‘Back your main ability and keep things simple. Don’t try to do anything out of the box’,” he added.

The finisher was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 3.20 crore during the IPL auction in November 2024. Watching him slot into the lower-middle order after the carnage caused by Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen will be a mouth-watering prospect in the new season.