Ranji Trophy: Vishnu Vinod is all set to make his mark as Kerala captain

KOCHI: Newly appointed Kerala captain Vishnu Vinod wants to leave his mark on this team but is happy that his players are given the freedom to express themselves and play to their potential.The 32-year-old batsman from Pathanamthitta, who is also a wicket-keeper, takes charge of the Kerala team ahead of their Ranji Trophy opener against Jharkhand in Jamshedpur on October 11. “I want to leave my mark on this team, but I also want guys to express themselves and not worry about their place in the lineup.”The starting group is the same that reached the Ranji final two seasons ago. The big change is in the dressing room where former Goa batsman Swapnil Asnodkar is the new coach. “I played a few matches against him when he was playing for Goa. He is like an elder brother,” said Vinod. “We are working to get the players to perform at their best.”Kerala pacer MD Nidheesh calls Vinod’s elevation an aggressive move. “He is a results-driven captain, very proactive and aggressive, with an out-of-the-box approach. He is very resourceful when it comes to setting up the field,” said Nidheesh.He points to Kerala’s last league game in the previous season against Goa. “On a dead, lifeless pitch, Kerala still forced a straight result and ended a lackluster campaign on a high, largely thanks to Vinod’s captaincy,” noted Nidheesh.KCA secretary Vinod S Kumar says the match against Goa in Porvori, in which Kerala won by 9 wickets, has made the selectors hedge their bets on Vinod.“The team management and selectors were impressed with the way he lined up his resources. It was a dead game for us so we decided to give him a chance to lead and he didn’t disappoint.”Kumar says Vinod endured a lean streak a few seasons ago, after which he bounced back through white-ball cricket. “He has been out of form but has regained his vigor after some great performances in white-ball tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Trophy.The Kerala team has a mix of youth and experience. Sachin Baby, Rohan S Kunnummal, Vinod, Mohammed Azharuddeen and Salman Nizar lead the batting. MD Nidheesh, Eden Apple Tom and Basil NP lead the bowling and the guest players are veterans Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate.They are placed in the elite Group C with Jharkhand, Odisha, Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Services.platoon: Vishnu Vinod (c, wk), Rohan S Kunnummal, Abhishek J Nair, Abhishek P Nair, Sachin Baby, Ahmed Imran, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), Salman Nizar, Varun Nayanar (wk), Jalaj Saxena, Vaishakh Chandran, Aditya Anuraje J Sarwate, MD, Aditya Anuraje J Sarwate, Nidheesh, Eden Apple Tom, Pavan Raj, Basil N P.