‘Was trying to enjoy being out there’, says TN’s Pradosh after fighting knock at birthplace
On a greenish surface here at the KIIT Stadium that offered seam movement through Thursday morning, Tamil Nadu’s Pradosh Ranjan Paul (78, 100b, 12×4) found himself navigating both testing conditions and a deeply personal occasion — his first professional appearance at his birthplace in a 14-year career.
“It was quite challenging when I went in,” Pradosh said after the first day’s play of the Elite Group-A sixth-round Ranji Trophy match against Odisha. “But my mindset was to enjoy and live in the present. I was not thinking much about what was going to happen. I was just trying to play as straight as possible, and enjoying being out there.”
The sense of occasion mattered. Born in Bhubaneswar, Pradosh moved to Tamil Nadu “around 15 years ago” and has since built his career representing the State across formats. Remarkably, this Ranji fixture marked his first game in Odisha.
“Out of all these 14 years of professional cricket, this is the first time I’m playing in Odisha. Obviously, performing in front of my relatives — they knew I had a match here and most of them came to watch — was quite special,” said the 25-year-old.
Put in to bat on a lively wicket, Pradosh adopted a clear and uncomplicated plan. “Anything at my stumps, I was going for my shots and looking for runs,” he explained. “Anything outside off — because the wicket was quite greenish and it was doing a bit for the seamers — the plan was to leave the ball.”
That approach was evident early, particularly after a vociferous caught-behind appeal off the very first ball he faced. Pradosh left generously outside off, choosing patience over persuasion.
Despite not having prior playing experience in Odisha, he said preparation came through conversations. “I was not aware of the conditions because this was my first game here. But I did my homework, asking a few of them who have already played in these conditions,” he said.
While it was an assured innings, Pradosh admitted disappointment at not converting it into something bigger — a theme he had been candid about pre-season.
“My goal is to get those 50s, 60s, 70s into big scores,” he said. “Again, disappointed that I couldn’t make it big this time. But any innings coming in the future, I’ll definitely try to make it big if I’m set.”
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Reflecting on his overall campaign, Pradosh pushed back gently against the idea of an unsatisfactory season. “I won’t say I didn’t achieve (his goal of getting big scores). I got a double hundred (201 n.o.) against Nagaland, and then a hundred (113) against Vidarbha, for which I batted out of my skin. So, I won’t say it’s been a very quiet season. But yes, this match, it was there to make it big,” he said.
Across formats, Tamil Nadu has endured a challenging year, and Pradosh acknowledged that individual and collective progress have not always aligned with expectations. “The Vijay Hazare Trophy was definitely not up to the mark by my standards,” he said, referencing his returns of 199 runs in five matches. He identified a simple lesson from the ongoing Ranji season. “When you get your scores, try to make it big. You never know what’s going to happen next innings,” he said.
He also spoke with optimism about Tamil Nadu’s future. “As a team, we are definitely in the transition phase. This will take time, maybe a year or two. But this team has immense talent and will start doing well.”
The day, for Pradosh, was a blend of pride and longing — the joy of a homecoming, and the familiar hunger for more.
Published on Jan 22, 2026
