Former Indian player Ryan Ninan is not a popular name in the Indian cricket fraternity, but, his talent in the game was never in question. Having played just a handful of games in domestic cricket in India – for Goa and Karnataka – Ninan is utilizing his talent in Australia, where he is in contention of playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) in upcoming seasons.
If that becomes true, Ninan will be the first Indian male cricketer to play in the BBL. He has also played cricket in England and The Netherlands, making his cricketing journey all the more exciting. In an exclusive interview to Sportswallah.com, he shared his cricketing journey, his experience playing in different countries, his BBL aspirations and more.
Talking about his first ever domestic cricket experience, Ninan said, “In about two weeks, it will make it 16 years since I played my first ever representative game for Karnataka in the Under -16 category. I had a very good first season for Karnataka in the age group category and it was followed up with a call-up to the CCI cricket academy in Mumbai in 2002. Things really started moving uphill after that and I feel fortunate to have played an integral part in all the age group categories for Karnataka. I got into the Ranji Trophy set up in Karnataka in 2003 at the age of 17 along with Robin Uthappa and we were the youngest back then. I got rewarded with call-ups to the NCA Under-17, U-19 and U-22 batches over that period.”
He further added, “I came close to making my debut for Karnataka in the 2007 season after bagging a truckload of wickets the whole year but it was not meant to be. Later on, I decided to take up Dodda Ganesh’s (then Goa coach) invite and play for Goa as a professional that season. It turned out to be a reasonably decent season and Goa finished as semi-finalists in the plate. I found it funny that I have left out of the List A squad after that.”
When asked about his arrival in Australia, Ninan replied, “In 2013, I didn’t secure an IPL contract and that was a blessing in disguise. I had the chance to come over to Australia and train and travel through for a few weeks. Eventually, after that trip, I decided that I was going to start a new chapter in a country and get back to playing the game for the reason I started. I got back from that trip and enrolled for a Masters in Sports Management at Deakin University and moved to Melbourne in Jan 2014. I joined Hawthorn Monash CC which is now Kingston Hawthorn CC. “
Speaking about the lack of chances in domestic cricket in India, Ryan said, “Things in Karnataka did not go according to plan after age group cricket and when I was younger there were days I was frustrated and disappointed, however, without those experiences I would not be in the place I am today. I know a lot more talented cricketers in India and Australia who have not had a chance to play competitive cricket. When I look back I feel fortunate that I have had the opportunities only a select few get in India.”
Talking about his IPL stint in 2011 for RCB alongside Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Ninan said, “It wasn’t the best debut (vs Deccan Chargers) as I was at the receiving end of my former state mate, Bharat Chipli, who played a fine knock that day. My second game was against Chennai Super Kings. Virat was still making a mark as an international cricketer and had a fantastic IPL in 2011. To see him take Indian cricket forward is inspiring. He is certainly leading the way for the next generation of cricketers and is the perfect example of mixing flair and work ethics.”
He further added, “ABD is a legend on the field but an even greater human being off it too. He is certainly someone I admire a lot because he’s well rounded. None of the internationals make you feel out of place and I must say at RCB, our dressing room atmosphere was absolutely incredible for those couple of years.”
When about his chances of playing in BBL, Ryan replied, “I did have a couple of teams in the BBL show interest a couple of years ago but unfortunately I was not an Australian resident back then. Hopefully, with me qualifying now, a break in the BBL isn’t too far away.”
Ninan concluded by talking about his coaching accreditation, he said, “I am a qualified Cricket Australia Level 1 coach and did attend the Level 2 course as well; however, I had to return to India and hence could not submit my workbook within the designated time period. Hopefully, I can get my Level 2 certificate soon too. I am not a BCCI qualified coach.I love working with children and their overall development and have an interest in the management side of things.”
