'Till date I don’t have any cricket coach' - Vishnu Vinod shares an emotional story about his journey

Vishnu Vinod, a member of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s squad in IPL 2022, opened up about his journey, and how he fulfilled his dream to represent the Kerala Ranji team. The wicketkeeper-batter made his first-class debut in 2016 for Kerala. Vinod is more focused on his batting, rather than his keeping skills, and holds the ability to adjust to any position in the batting line-up.

He has been impressive in the first-class setup and since 2016, has been a regular in the Kerala squad. He started his cricket journey by playing for the district team and was majorly supported by the district secretary, which helped him dream big and make his way into the state team.

“Till date I don’t have any cricket coach. It was Mr. Joji John, Pathanamthitta district secretary who helped me with cricket. Whether it was getting equipment or feeding me the ball during practices, he helped me with it all. Even now if I need any help or feel like talking to a person before the match, I call him first. The things which he says help me a lot,” he said in a video shared by SRH.

From humble beginnings in Pathanamthitta to the #IPL, Vishnu Vinod’s journey continues with a father figure watching on him 🧡#OrangeArmy #ReadyToRise #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/7iivST0Qgh

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) May 12, 2022

Vinod explains how he was inspired by his teammates who played for Kerala state

Vishnu Vinod revealed how he was inspired by the players from his district, who played for Kerala state team. He explained that seeing them play encouraged him to work hard on himself and make it big in the game, with a dream of representing Kerala in the Ranji Trophy and donning the state jersey.

Speaking of his journey from U-19 to Ranji Trophy, he added: “Initially while playing in the Pathanamthitta district team, there were 2-3 players in our team who were playing for the state team. Watching them play in the white jersey with the Kerala Cricket Association’s emblem motivated me. At that time, I also wanted to play for the state team and wear the Kerala white jersey. After that, I represented Kerala in the U-19 category. My next goal was to play in the Ranji Team for Kerala.”

In the league stage of the Ranji Trophy 2021-22, he played a crucial role in his team’s victory against Gujarat by smashing 113 runs in 143 deliveries in the first innings which helped his side post a winning total against Gujarat. Vinod has previously represented RCB and DC in IPL, and is a part of the SRH setup this season.