An 89 in your second ODI ought to usually purchase you a 3rd. Add a Participant-of-the-Match award, and the expectation turns into even stronger. But one Indian opener walked away from Bengaluru in Could 1998 after doing precisely that and by no means appeared in one other worldwide match. His total ODI profession lasted six days and produced 115 runs at a median of 57.50, one half-century and one match award.
That transient worldwide run had not come from nowhere. Years of home cricket had already carried him into an Indian Check squad, whereas a 189 as India A captain in Pakistan had pushed him additional in the direction of the senior aspect solely months earlier than his ODI debut. Even after these two internationals turned his final, he returned to home cricket and produced a triple century towards an assault containing Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad.
The participant was Gagan Khoda, a Rajasthan opener whose profession repeatedly appeared to succeed in the sting of one thing larger with out ever fairly crossing it.
Khoda was solely 17 when his Ranji Trophy profession started, and the introduction may scarcely have been stronger. In opposition to Uttar Pradesh in 1991, he scored 116 in his first first-class innings. Three seasons later, he produced the marketing campaign that moved him firmly into the nationwide dialog, scoring 618 Ranji Trophy runs in 1994-95 at a median of 77.25 with two lots of and two fifties.
The most important of these innings got here within the quarter-final towards Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan had conceded 487 earlier than being dismissed for 237 and had been dealing with elimination when Khoda responded with an unbeaten 237 within the second innings. Rajasthan reached 417/5 however nonetheless went out on the first-innings deficit, though the innings strengthened Khoda’s repute as an opener able to batting for lengthy intervals and turning begins into large scores.
By 1997, he had moved shut sufficient to worldwide cricket to be included in India’s Check squad in the course of the tour of Sri Lanka. The cap by no means arrived, however his progress continued the next 12 months when he was made captain of India A for a tour of Pakistan.
A 189 in Pakistan and the India name
The India A squad contained a number of gamers who would later characterize the senior aspect, together with Ajit Agarkar, Wasim Jaffer, Murali Kartik, MSK Prasad, Sairaj Bahutule and Reetinder Sodhi. Khoda led them right into a collection through which one innings in Lahore strengthened his personal case significantly.
Opening towards Pakistan A, he confronted an assault containing Aaqib Javed, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi and made 189 from 328 deliveries. He batted for nearly seven hours earlier than falling 11 runs wanting a double century, including one other substantial efficiency to a home and consultant document that had been constructing for a number of seasons.
The senior alternative arrived inside months. India rested a number of established gamers, together with Sachin Tendulkar, for the Coca-Cola triangular event involving Bangladesh and Kenya in Could 1998, opening up locations close to the highest of the order. Khoda made his ODI debut towards Bangladesh at Mohali on Could 14 and opened alongside Sourav Ganguly. He scored 26 from 56 balls as India efficiently chased 185, an innings that neither reworked his place nor broken it. Six days later, nevertheless, he produced the efficiency that will outline his worldwide profession.
Kenya had made 223/9 in Bengaluru earlier than Ganguly fell for 9 throughout India’s chase. Khoda rebuilt alongside Rahul Dravid, including 98 for the second wicket, and remained on the crease deep into the innings. His 89 got here from 129 balls and included eight fours, leaving India in management earlier than they accomplished a four-wicket victory. Khoda completed as India’s highest scorer and was named Participant of the Match. On the finish of the night, his ODI document stood at 115 runs from two appearances at a median of 57.50. These figures would by no means change.
The return of India’s established openers lowered his possibilities instantly. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu got here again into the aspect, whereas Khoda remained within the squad with out getting one other sport. He was retained for the ultimate of the triangular event and later travelled to Sri Lanka for the Nidahas Trophy, however once more stayed outdoors the XI. India additionally took him to the 1998 Commonwealth Video games in Kuala Lumpur, though these matches didn’t carry ODI standing. By the tip of the 12 months, the opening created by the short-term absence of senior gamers had disappeared, and Khoda had drifted away from the nationwide aspect.
There would by no means be a 3rd ODI.
The 300 not out that introduced him again into competition
Home cricket nonetheless provided one other route, and in February 2001, Khoda produced the most important innings of his first-class profession. Central Zone had been dealing with South Zone within the Duleep Trophy, with Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad main an assault that additionally included Sunil Joshi and Venkatapathy Raju.
Khoda batted for 610 minutes and confronted 467 deliveries. By the point Central Zone declared at 550/7, he was nonetheless unbeaten on 300 after hitting 33 fours and 6 sixes. Srinath went wicketless, as did Prasad, whereas Central Zone ultimately gained by an innings and 14 runs. The triple century introduced Khoda again into the consultant image and earned him choice for India A towards the touring Australians. The senior recall, nevertheless, by no means adopted, and the 2 ODIs performed in Could 1998 remained the whole lot of his worldwide profession.
Additionally Learn: 1,245 runs in one season, starred alongside Dhoni for India A; replaced Tendulkar, lost Test selection battle to Gambhir
Khoda continued to build up runs in home cricket and ultimately completed with 8,516 first-class runs, together with 20 centuries and 42 fifties. His profession common sat just under 40, whereas in Checklist A cricket, he scored practically 4,500 runs at a median above 40 with 10 lots of.
Competitors for batting locations throughout his strongest years was extreme. Tendulkar, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid had been already established. Sidhu remained a gap possibility when Khoda first reached the ODI aspect, and VVS Laxman was rising. A number of different home batters had been additionally competing for the restricted vacancies out there in a strong Indian batting era.
Khoda’s personal sequence remained uncommon even inside that crowded area. A century on Ranji Trophy debut at 17 was adopted by a season averaging 77.25, choice in an Indian Check squad, India A captaincy and 189 in Pakistan. His second ODI introduced 89 and a Participant-of-the-Match award, after which he by no means performed worldwide cricket once more. Three years later, even 300 not out towards an assault led by Srinath and Prasad took him solely so far as one other India A chance.
Greater than a decade after his enjoying profession ended, Khoda returned to the nationwide setup in a very totally different position. In 2015, he was appointed to India’s senior choice committee, changing into one of many males liable for deciding which home performers would obtain the alternatives he had spent a lot of his personal profession chasing.
