G. Anikethreddy had his palms on his face and squatted in disbelief as yet one more supply beat the bat with out reward. After repeating the routine numerous instances, he lastly lured half-centurion Baba Indrajith right into a drive and had him caught at cowl — a well timed strike and a giant breakthrough to place Hyderabad forward of TNCA President’s XI within the Buchi Babu Trophy ultimate in Chennai.
Fittingly, the left-arm spinner claimed the ultimate wicket to safe Hyderabad a primary innings lead, tightening its grip on the title it’s defending. “We believed we might pull it off, however we knew we’d need to grind it out,” Aniketh informed Sportstar after the third day’s play on the CSK-HPC floor.
“The plan was easy: preserve bowling in the suitable areas, keep tight, and let the batter make the error. We had been having fun with ourselves on the market. Personally, I really like these sorts of strain conditions — I really feel I come out stronger in them,” he added.
All through the match, Aniketh has used his dip and switch to attract batters ahead and beat them on the surface edge. Regardless of loads of near-misses, he has nonetheless managed 14 wickets in 9 innings.
“Earlier than the Ranji Trophy, that is nice apply. For me, it’s about sticking to the fundamentals and trusting the method,” he mentioned.
The 25-year-old, who hails from the Nizamabad district in Telangana, was not too long ago named as a stand-by for the South Zone squad within the Duleep Trophy ultimate. Whereas acknowledging that “good issues occur,” he insists his focus stays on working laborious slightly than trying too far forward.
His instant goal is evident. “This Ranji season, I goal to take 45–50 wickets. Final yr, I managed 29, though I had set 35 in thoughts. This time I need to set the bar greater, and I really feel prepared for it,” Aniketh, who has 45 wickets in 12 First-Class matches, mentioned.
In contrast to most fashionable left-arm spinners, Aniketh sticks to a diagonal run-up — a behavior from his early years. “Bowling diagonally offers you that pure angle, with the ball curving in and dipping extra,” he defined.
A childhood admirer of Daniel Vettori, he received the prospect to fulfill his idol throughout a stint as a internet bowler with Sunrisers Hyderabad. “We spoke about my bowling and he informed me I used to be doing properly,” Aniketh recalled. Amongst Indians, he seems to be as much as Ravindra Jadeja and is now sharpening his batting to evolve right into a useful all-rounder.
Aniketh is optimistic that an Indian Premier League (IPL) name isn’t far-off. “I believe I’m there — hopefully I’ll knock on the door within the subsequent one or two years,” he mentioned with confidence.
Printed on Sep 08, 2025