Players on the Kerala Ranji Trophy team come from smaller towns as well. The good news is that the sport is thriving outside of typical cricketing nurseries.
A classic statement that loudspeakers in Kerala use during election campaigns is “From distant Kasaragod to capital Thiruvananthapuram,” which suggests that a party or candidate can reach from the northern tip of the state to the southern tip. Along the 577-kilometer stretch that arcs like a fish, cricket fans, friends, and family will swarm around television sets or hunch over smartphone displays starting Monday to watch Kerala defeat Gujarat in Ahmedabad for a historic participation in a Ranji Trophy final.When local youngster Mohammed Azharuddeen helped Kerala draw with Jammu and Kashmir in Pune last week, the sleepy hamlet of Kasaragod, which is known for its hand-woven prayer caps, was a hive of activity. Approximately 380 kilometers away, in Kanjiramattom, Ernakulam district, on the banks of the Thodupuzha river, neighbors crowded the home of medium pacer MD Nidheesh.The most well-known attraction in Kerala’s cricket scene brought together hitherto disparate towns and communities. Salman Nizar, the batting talisman and man of the match, hails from Thalassery, the state’s cricketing birthplace. Born in Kochi, Akshay Chandran later moved to Kannur and honed his skills at Thalassery. His resistance was equally crucial. KM Asif is from Kottayam, Rohan Kunnummal is from Palakkad but was raised in Kozhikode’s Koyilandy, Shoun Roger is from Vettukad on the northwest coast of Thiruvananthapuram, and the captain, Sachin Baby, is from Adimali in Idukki. Basil Thampi and N Basil are from Perumbavoor, which is dotted with plywood factories, in the Ernakulam district.
