What's the story?
The former Tamil Nadu batsman, Arun Karthik is all set to join the upcoming domestic season of Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). After a hustle that went on for two months, KCA is finally close to ending their search by roping in Karthik.
“Arun Karthik has agreed to play for us next season. We have received positive feedbacks from him He was keen to play for us and we feel his presence will be beneficial to Kerala cricket,” said Jayesh George, the KCA secretary.
The deal is likely to be signed next week. Once the formalities get over, Karthik will officially become a part of KCA's upcoming tournaments.
In case you didn't know...
Arun Karthik was earlier a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad during the 2011 edition of Indian Premier League. He played for Tamil Nadu from 2008 to 2013. Currently, he plays for Assam whom he joined in 2014. He also represented Bauderliya Sports Club during one season in Sri Lanka.
This right-handed batsman got into the limelight when his last ball six against South Australia led Royal Challengers Bangalore to the semi-finals of Champions League T20 in 2011.
The heart of the matter
The KCA was keen on involving more professional players for their domestic season. They were in talks with several players for the past two months in their attempt to draw in the popular names. They finally found Arun Karthik as the second guest player this season, the first being Robin Uthappa – Indian discard and former Karnataka batsman.
Jayesh George held a meeting with Dav Whatmore – Kerala coach, Tinu Yohannan – Director, Centre of Excellence and bowling coach and S Ramesh – Director, Games Development in Chennai on July 7. They all agreed that Arun Karthik will be a good bet as the second guest player this season.
What's next?
Arun Karthik will have to receive a Non-Objection Certificate from Assam before signing the deal. He can then proceed to sign the deal.
Author's take
It is a good step taken by KCA to involve few guest players who have played professional cricket. Their experience will help their teammates and others since the latter can use the opportunity to observe and learn. It will also motivate the domestic players to perform better.
Moreover, the popular faces will assist the association in gaining more media attention which in turn will provide more opportunities to the players.
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