The IPL snub was a bitter pill to swallow for Abhinav Manohar, but he decided to maximise things which he could control for salvation.

After a low-key performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Abhinav has struck a purple patch as a finisher in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 176 runs from 90 balls at a strike rate of 195.55 and is yet to be dismissed. Abhinav’s vital contribution as a finisher has been one of the reasons for Karnataka’s unbeaten streak in the tournament.

Abhinav delivered the finishing punches when Karnataka was chasing a record target of 413 against Jharkhand in the opening match. He smote an unbeaten 56 off 32 balls and added crucial 88 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket with debutant Dhruv Prabhakar (40 n.o.) to take his side to a memorable victory.

In the last match against Tripura, Abhinav played another impactful innings underling his utility at No. 6. Arriving at the crease at the fall of K.L. Rahul in the 38th over, Abhinav clubbed an unbeaten 79 off 43 balls, laced with six fours and four sixes, which enabled Karnataka plunder 125 runs from the last 12 overs.

“The IPL auction took place when I was playing in the SMAT. It was disappointing not to be picked and it affected my batting resulting in a below-par show. Sometimes you don’t understand the dynamics of the auction. This season I guess the IPL teams wanted fast bowlers more than the finishers.

“But I have moved on and decided to do well in areas which I could control. I am happy I have come good in this tournament and contributing to the team. I have the backing of the team management and they know my worth as a finisher. I am pretty experienced in choosing the time and bowlers to attack in the death overs,” he said.

Abhinav, who made his Ranji Trophy debut last season as a 30-year-old, is happy that he is playing all formats for Karnataka and is trying to make up for the lost years. He is disappointed that he missed out on his maiden First Class century by our runs against Maharashtra this season and hopes to reach the landmark soon.

“Except for SMAT, I think I have done pretty well this season. Though white-ball cricket is my strength I am happy to be an all-format player for Karnataka. I guess I was one of the oldest players to make the Ranji Trophy debut for Karnataka in recent times. It was a bit disappointing to miss out on my maiden First Class hundred this season. I hope I will be able to end that wait soon,” he added.