গোবিন্দ পোদ্দার

Born in Rourkela, a western city in the state of Odisha, Odisha’s Ranji Trophy captain Govinda Poddar first shot into prominence by making ripples in the age-group cricket. After a stint at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, Poddar made his debut in the Ranji Trophy against Baroda at the Barabati Stadium in the 2010-11 season. He scored 106 runs from 333 balls in that game, signalling a new dawn for Odisha cricket, which had lost its way after the retirement of the state’s glorious batch, which helped the team to its first-ever semi-final appearance in 2000-01.

But failures in the subsequent games didn’t help Poddar’s cause as he was left out from the team. But the inconsistent Odisha batting line-up forced the selectors to rethink about their decision and on the back of some solid performances in the Kalahandi Cup, OCA’s premier domestic competition, Poddar made a comeback to the team and has been the mainstay since then.

Especially, the 2015-16 season was very much fruitful for the right-hander as he scored three centuries on his way to 555 runs in the Ranji Trophy and bailed Odisha out of a soup on more than one occasion. By hitting five sixes off Maharashtra spinner Shamshuzama Kazi in an over in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match, Poddar showed his hitting prowess and was called upon by Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise for a trial camp, which never transpired to an IPL contract, though.

Despite all that, Poddar did carry on his mission and led Odisha to the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy after a gap of 16 years. In the 2016-17 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Poddar struck a couple of fifties and centuries to extend his purple patch, this time as a batsman. That ensured he got a call up to play for India A but unfortunately got out for a blob while given a chance to bat in the lower middle order. Even the Ranji season of 2017-18 was a moderate one for the Odisha skipper.

By Kumar Abhisekh Das