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“MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina are very kind to me; they keep solving my doubts”- CSK’s C Hari Nishaanth (Exclusive Interview)

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Hari Nishaanth Interview

C Hari Nishaanth is one of the top uncapped batsmen in the country right now. Hailing from Ooty, Tamil Nadu, the right-handed batsman has made a name for himself with his top-quality performances for the Tamil Nadu team. Earlier this year, he top-scored in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Final, helping Tamil Nadu record a win against Baroda and become the champions.

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Hari Nishaanth has majorly played in the T20 format in his domestic career. Having made his T20 debut against Rajasthan in 2019, the 24-year-old has played 19 T20 matches, scoring 393 runs. His highest score in the game’s shortest format is 92*, showing that it is very tough to stop him once he gets going.

Hari Nishaanth with MS Dhoni
Photo: Hari Nishaanth/Instagram

The Tamil Nadu-based player earned his maiden IPL contract from his home franchise Chennai Super Kings at IPL Auction 2021. Although Hari Nishaanth did not get a chance in the first phase of IPL 2021, he will probably make his IPL debut in the yellow jersey during the second phase of IPL 2021 later this year. In April and May 2021, Hari Nishaanth got a chance to interact with some big names like MS Dhoni, Stephen Fleming, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, and many others.

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Exclusive interview with C Hari Nishaanth

In an exclusive chat with Swagcricket.com, Hari Nishaanth reflected on his career so far. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

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Q. Share your experience of spending a few weeks with the Chennai Super Kings team. 

Hari Nishaanth: It’s an absolutely brilliant experience for me because personally I am a big fan of the CSK team, and when I realized about spending my time with the CSK team, it was just an unbelievable moment for me. The few weeks spent were like 2-3 days. It went so fast, but I kept learning things from them.

I have my most favorite players in my team like MS Dhoni Bhai, Suresh Raina, and Jadeja everyone. I have learned a lot of things from them – cricket and apart from cricket, how they manage to keep themselves physically and mentally fit, and how they are reacting, everything is new to me, and I was just learning. I kept learning things from them, and I am sure I have made myself a better version after the few weeks in CSK.

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Q. How was it interacting with MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina? 

C Hari Nishaanth: Obviously, it was a dream come true for me. Interacting with MS Dhoni Bhai and Suresh Raina Bhai, I can’t put it in words. Simply they have taught me. It was good interacting with them. It’s hard to describe. They have been kind enough to keep answering my questions and my doubts.

They have also helped me improve my game, and it was a goosebumps moment for me because I have seen them playing on TV for years and years. From my childhood, they have been my role models. Interacting with them is special for me. It was a superb experience, they were very nice and helped me in developing my skills. All in all, it’s a good experience for me.

Q. What was your first reaction when you came to know about CSK signing you? 

C Hari Nishaanth: As I said, I have been a big fan of CSK since my childhood. I used to bring posters; I used to have pictures in CSK’s T-shirt, Dhoni Bhai’s T-shirt, Raina Bhai’s T-shirt. I am a kind of a fanboy who made his dream come true. It was an unbelievable moment. I was at dinner during the auction when I got to know about CSK signing me. I got into a freeze moment. I couldn’t react after that.

I had so many phone calls coming to me. I couldn’t answer them all. I was a bit in tears. It means a lot to me; you know whoever dreams of representing a team from childhood whenever he took his bat to play and now he is going to represent the same team. It is just a kind of moment you can’t get it back.

Q. Tell us something about your experience of living in bio-bubble during domestic matches and IPL this year. 

C Hari Nishaanth: Quarantine is very difficult. It can get you in a very bad state of mind. Life is very difficult during first seven days of quarantine. Apart from that, being in a bubble is slightly okay than being in quarantine. In quarantine, you can’t take a bat and play cricket also. You just have to be inside four walls. After the quarantine, the bubble life is slightly okay. You keep batting; you keep practicing; you keep doing your cricketing things.

If you keep doing cricketing things, bubble life could be okay. But obviously, you will miss your family and outside life. Still, it is better than quarantine.

Q. You have played under Dinesh Karthik. A few lines about your Tamil Nadu skipper?

C Hari Nishaanth: He has been a guide for youngsters like me. He exactly knows what should be done in what situation. He has been very successful for Tamil Nadu. He has done a lot of things for Tamil Nadu cricket. In the last two years, I have been a part of the team under his captaincy, and I have learned many things from him, and I will keep learning from him.

Q. Share with us your best memories from the championship-winning campaign with Tamil Nadu in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021. 

C Hari Nishaanth: Winning a tournament is always special. Being a sportsman and being a part of a winning side is always an ultimate feeling. My best memory would be from the first match of the Tamil Nadu team in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I went on to score 92* against Jharkhand, and after that, we went to win the tournament, and I can realize that I set the tone for the team.

Another memorable thing is we lifted the cup. That is the best feeling for playing Tamil Nadu, and we went on to win the tournament. It is a very emotional moment, and being a part of the winning team and making the team win in the final is not an easy task. Everyone was so happy. In a different game, a different Tamil Nadu player stepped up to perform. That’s something special about the Tamil Nadu team last year. That’s a very special moment, and I cannot put it in words. It’s a kind of emotional and memorable thing.