Ranji Trophy: Himateja ton puts Hyderabad in command

The mind is the hardest pitch of all, and Hyderabad’s K. Himateja had three guides to help him read it: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Wasim Jaffer and Anirudh Singh.

Also read | Ranji Trophy 2026-27: Ton-up Himateja leaves Andhra with a mountain to climb

Himateja ground out a century against Andhra at the ACA Stadium in Mulapadu, leaving the visitor in a commanding position in their Ranji Trophy clash. The visible relief on reaching triple figures, he explained, was about vanquishing the demons of self-doubt.

“I was a little worried because I didn’t do very well in the last two innings. I was well prepared in terms of my mindset but I didn’t practice so much before this season,” he told The Hindu.

“I played in the Duleep Trophy and also featured in the Under-25 Emerging Men’s Tournament. I tried to prepare as best as I could in the time I had, but I was definitely a little worried because I thought I was underprepared.”

Given its importance in the larger scheme of things and the patience it demanded, he called this ton the best knock of his career. His 99-run stand with Ruthik Yadav laid the foundation for Hyderabad to stay well in the hunt for its second Ranji win on the trot.

“When I was batting, and two wickets fell, I knew in my mind that someone would partner with me,” he said, explaining how he had to resist changing plans or panicking in the heat of the moment.

“My coach [Anirudh] always tells me that once I keep playing there, someone or the other will stick around with me. That is what has happened. And I am very happy that Ruthik also gave his best there. He was very courageous and, in fact, I felt that he was more confident than I was in the middle.”

“I just put my head down and thought about what I wanted to do. Not the 100, but to get that 250-run mark for the team. So we got there; obviously my 100 will also come,” Himateja, who has stuttered in the nineties a fair few times, narrated. “And they were trying to bowl away from the stumps and not give me that run to get that mark. But I kept my cool.”

The foundations of that composure were laid months ago. His stint with Khammam Aces in the inaugural TG20 brought him under Dilshan, who was the team’s mentor.

“Dilshan sir told me that once I get the first 30 runs, I just have to milk them. I don’t have to do anything stupid; just stick to the basics and do things right. Once the first step was done, he said there was no way I could throw away my wicket. All those conversations with him, everything aligned together, and my batting has become much more positive.”

Jaffer, roped in as a mentor by the HCA, has been having his own conversations with Himateja for a while now.

“Wasim sir was with us during the emerging camp. He always told me to just look for runs no matter what situation I’m playing. Today that was very evident, because even when the wickets were falling, I was just looking to score. We had a chat two or three days ago also, about how to go about things, how to play on the turners and such. All those conversations have definitely helped me.”

Then there is Anirudh, the man who sees his game every day.

“I was very defensive during the first inning and he told me that once I played 15-20 balls, I shouldn’t be that defensive, to go about my shots and trust my instincts. Even Wasim sir told me the same. I think I trusted my instincts a lot today and I was able to get those boundaries. Once I got those boundaries, things got easy.”