by Abhai Sawkar Dedication, diligence, and passion are perfect descriptors for the rising Dolphins all-rounder, Senuran Muthusamy. Having first broken into the franchise scene around three years ago, it’s been quite a road of ups and downs, culminating in a call-up to South Africa’s A team. Cricket was always a passion since childhood for the 25-year-old Durbanite. The hardships early on have further fortified the young Muthusamy, and the backing he received helped build confidence very early on. It wasn’t long before his journey in the competitive world took off. “I was introduced to cricket at a young age. My dad absolutely loved the game, and thankfully that transferred on to me. I’ve always been privileged to have a supportive family, and my mom has been incredible to me. I’ve also been privileged enough to have mentors to guide me. My mom’s played a huge role, no doubt. My dad passed away when I was young, and my mom’s always been my rock.” Muthusamy’s commitment to the game as a preteen helped reap plenty of rewards. A left-handed middle-order batsman and left-arm finger spinner, Muthusamy first entered the domestic scene for his home province, KwaZulu-Natal, just shy of his 19th birthday towards the close of the 2012-13 domestic season. Having climbed the ladder through youth-level cricket, the passionate all-rounder was determined to make an impact as early as possible. Having swiftly risen through the ranks at provincial level and having an impressive CV, he didn’t have to wait too long to bag his first official franchise contract with the Dolphins. Since then, it’s been an upward trend that he’s trying to maintain. “In terms of my development from youth level, I was privileged enough to come through the KwaZulu-Natal system since I was 11. I represented every age-group team, from 11 to 19. After that I transferred to our Dolphins academy, the KwaZulu-Natal coastal team, then to the Dolphins, and finally the South African Emerging team. Now I’m with the South African A side. Yeah, it’s been tough but it’s been really rewarding. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my journey so far.” The 2017-18 season was, so far, the pinnacle; after finishing as the second-highest wicket taker and averaging almost 40 with the bat, Muthusamy would finally earn his maiden call-up to the Proteas A side. In addition, he’d also win the Player of the Year and Bowler of the Year accolades during the KwaZulu-Natal award ceremony at the end of the domestic season. He would go on to play a tour match against Australia, just prior to South Africa’s home Test series earlier last year. However, the much bigger challenge was presented when he was chosen again for an India tour, this time for a 50-over quadrangular tournament. Despite a difficult outing for the team, Muthusamy came back with decent returns with both skills. It’s proven to be a learning experience to savor. “The experience last season was priceless in terms of visiting India. It was my first taste of Indian conditions and a feel for how the guys go about it. Of course, it’s the knack of spin bowling and playing spin. India’s got some of the toughest conditions in the world, probably the toughest place to tour, given the challenge the Indian team poses. India’s been my favorite cricketing destination to tour so far, just the way how the country loves cricket and how it’s like a religion. It’s part of their culture.” In addition, Muthusamy was recently named in the A team once again, for the 4-day games in India later this month and next month. The Proteas will have a 3-Test series in India in October, and the A series will serve as great preparation. The recent season may not have gone as planned due to injury, but Muthusamy was able to play 7 games in the 4-day tournament, taking 21 wickets and averaging 24 with the bat. Despite a relatively tougher season this time around, he played in all three formats for the Dolphins. It’s not getting any easier for him later this year, but that hasn’t deterred his determination to succeed at top level. “The last season that went by was alright, it wasn’t a great season, but it was solid with both bat and ball. I unfortunately missed part of it because I had a broken thumb, so that was a huge setback. Overall this season was a great challenge for me. I was out for nine weeks, and missed a lot of cricket. Obviously whenever you get injured mid-season, it takes time out, and you have to start all over again, so to speak. It’s all a part of the journey, and it makes you a stronger person. I think I bowled quite nicely last season, but didn’t bat as nicely as I would’ve liked. But that’s the beauty of being an all-rounder. If you miss out with the bat, you can make up for it with the ball, and vice versa.” “There are many experiences that I’ve cherished. It’s about the challenge and the test of character that drives me. Yeah, I think the past few years have been really nice, my career started to take shape. It’s been great and I’m looking forward to the next few years.” As a spin-bowling all-rounder, Muthusamy is aware that home conditions aren’t ideal, but the relative dearth of assistance is more helpful to improve consistency. Given that the next international assignment is in the subcontinent, it’s a perfect chance for him to showcase the talent and potential he has. “I think being a spinner in South Africa presents many challenges. Obviously it’s a seam-bowling dominated country, and everything’s directed towards fast bowlers. Being a spinner, we aren’t valued as highly as seam bowlers. But personally I do feel it’s slowly starting to change, and all the credit goes to the current spinners in the country who are doing well, and ensuring that people take notice. Keshav Maharaj has dominated the world scene for a couple years, which shows how important a left-arm spinner can be in the side. Conditions aren’t as conducive as other parts of the world, but we learn to make do with what we have. It tests our skills even more, and we have to be even more accurate in South Africa, because the margin for error is a lot less.” Muthusamy has always been thankful for the experience over the years for the Dolphins. From a team perspective, this season went quite well in the Momentum One Day Cup; the Dolphins would go on to finish as runners-up to the Titans. However, Muthusamy has the hunger for more and more further success, and has set his sights for more frequent rewards: “Yes, I’m grateful to have a few good seasons and the last few years have treated me well. It’s been a lot of hard work on both skills. And it comes with understanding my game, my strengths, my limitations, and trying to work with that. I’ve really tried to enjoy my cricket, and I’m really trying my hardest to win trophies with the Dolphins. We have plenty of talented young players in the team, so hopefully we can win a few more trophies.” When asked about his chances of playing for the Proteas in the near future, Muthusamy highlighted his desire to get a national call, but asserts that his main focus lies in the current tasks at hand: the South Africa A tour of India, followed by more and more consistent performances at domestic level. Considering that he’s been selected multiple times for South Africa A, he’s not that far away from officially playing for the Proteas. His humble attitude, perseverance, and a pragmatic approach is respectable, and a strong performance could ascertain that he’s well on course. The best shot for him currently seems to be Test cricket, but he’s definitely capable to mold his game to become a consistent performer in limited-overs cricket, too. “I think the main goal for the next season is firstly with the Dolphins. Hopefully we can challenge in the 4-day and the 50-over competitions, to hopefully win. I always feel that as a cricketer, you’re usually judged on what you win at the end of your career. Like you say, a Proteas call is a striking distance away, and it’s been a dream of mine to fulfill that. But I understand that there’s a process, so at the moment I’m looking to enjoy the process and patiently bide my time. I want to be ready when the chance comes, so I’m focusing on doing the best I can, each day.” South Africa are about to enter a transition phase, especially given that quite a few experienced campaigners are either getting ready to leave or have already left the international scene. With JP Duminy recently having retired from international cricket, there’s an open slot across all formats, for a middle-order batsman who can bowl spin. There’s plenty to play for, and Muthusamy has emphasized that it’s a better outlook to take it game by game. With the experience of playing in various conditions and the proficient skillset, Muthusamy is, without a doubt, a promising contender. At the moment there’s nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
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September 2020
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