By Paritosh Pramanik
NAAGUR, Sept 13, 2025
YASH Rathod loves batting long innings. He believes in scoring runs in tons. And that’s what he did last Ranji Trophy season for Vidarbha where he emerged as the highest runs scorer with 960 runs.
That strong performance helped him get picked in the Central Zone team for Duleep Trophy. His appetite for runs continued in the zonal tournament as well as he slammed a Daddy Hundred (194) in the final against South Zone to take Central closer to the title as they took a huge first innings lead.
The big century was built up on twin half centuries he scored in quarter-finals against North East Zone where he hit 87* and 78 runs.
But these runs (1866 till now) starting from Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy (two centuries) did not come easily.
The 2024-25 season ended with Vidarbha emerging Ranji champions for the third time. Rathod slammed five centuries and three half centuries and it took toll on the left-handed Vidarbha middle-order mainstay’s body.
He suffered a minor back injury and was advised a month’s rest.
“I did not pick the bat for one month. The injury was not major but I was advised to take complete rest,” Rathod told ‘The Hitavada’ after the end of third day’s play of Duleep Trophy final in Bengaluru.
“The rehabilitation started and slowly I started strength training and batting and then I played Vidarbha Premier T20 League,” he
mentioned.
After the 2023024 Ranji season, Rathod had a one-on-one session with coach Usman Ghani who cleared his doubts. “I went to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and worked with Hrishikesh Kanitkar who advised me minute changes in my batting,” he said.
Those changes helped Rathod last season where he was unstoppable.
In November 2024, Rathod had told this newspaper that he missed Duleep trophy berth because he did not hit centuries even though he had scored huge runs.
“Last year, I think I missed the Duleep Trophy berth as I did not score centuries, even though I scored good runs,” said Rathod after Vidarbha’s innings victory over Himachal last November.
This season, the left-handed batter converted his good starts into hundreds.
Rathod took the hard yards in the nets and batted for long hours in the nets.
“I used to bat around 600 balls daily in the nets at Nagpur Cricket Academy. This was my daily routine. I wanted to iron out all the flaws and hence I batted for over 600 balls daily,” stated Rathod who had hit 945 runs in 2017-18 Cooch Behar Trophy which Vidarbha won.
Rathod has been among runs for years. After Coronavirus break, Rathod slammed 611 runs from six matches in Col CK Nayudu Trophy in the 2021-22 season.
On missing the double hundred in the final, Rathod said, he is satisfied with 194 which came in the final. “Yes a double hundred would be lovely, but 194 came in the final of a Duleep Trophy. I am happy with my performance,” he said in a satisfied tone.
The non-selection in the India A team for the Australia A multi-day series did rankle Rathod but he decided to remind the selectors about his batting prowess with another big hundred in the final.
“Yes, I was a bit disappointed when the India A team was declared, I was expecting a call. But selection is not in my hands. What I can do is score runs and I did it in the final with 194 and I am happy with it. Selection will come with time. What my job is to keep scoring runs,” concluded Rathod.
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