G. Ajitesh has made his name in T20 cricket. He has played T20s for Tamil Nadu, and had a breakout TNPL season in 2023.

So, for someone who’s trying to earn his reputation in red-ball cricket, his maiden Buchi Babu hundred (101), for TNCA President’s XI in the semifinal against Jammu & Kashmir here on Monday, comes as a confidence booster.

“This is my third Buchi Babu tournament. So, it (the ton) boosts my confidence. That too, coming in a semifinal, it’s a very big thing.

“I was focusing on my red-ball cricket for the past two years. I wanted to get better in the red-ball format as well. I hope to make my (First-Class) debut for Tamil Nadu,” he said at the CSK High Performance Centre here.

The 22-year-old, who’s played in the TNCA first division league for four years now, feels that this year he’s a lot more improved with lessons from the previous three years.

“Obviously, having played for three years, I feel I’ve learned the formula to score hundreds — how to carry forward and keep going, how to build your innings. I was working on my defence to make it strong,” he said.

Besides confidence, he’s also had this as his takeaway from his knock on Monday: “Take your time. There’s a lot of time than you think there is.”

The 18-year-old Ambrish, who toured England with the India u-19 side in June and July, said he learned “what to do in different situations.”

The all-rounder attended a specialised camp for pacers at the NCA earlier this year.

“Troy Cooley and V.R.V. Singh were there. I play a lot of One-Dayers now. I was of the idea that bouncers and slower ones would be the most effective at the Death. But they asked me to and made me work on my yorkers,” he said.