Vinay Kumar is undoubtedly a legend of Karnataka domestic cricket. He not only claimed 442 wickets in the history of the Ranji Trophy and scored useful runs down the order but also led the side to a couple of Ranji Trophy triumphs. In that context, when yours truly shook hands with the now-retired cricketer, a sense of nostalgia travelled through the caverns of the brain. One of those memories was Vinay’s second first-class wicket, which happened to be that of the then India captain, Sourav Ganguly.
In that same Bengal-Karnataka Ranji Trophy game at Jadavpur University, Vinay had also dismissed former India cricketer Rohan Gavaskar. The newly appointed head coach of Karnataka, who is presently overseeing the state’s preparations ahead of the long domestic season, told RevSportz about that fond memory: “My first wicket was Rohan Gavaskar, lbw, in 2004. The second was Sourav Ganguly. He nicked it. I bowled from round the wicket, and Sujit Somasundar took the catch in the slip cordon.”
Time flies. This month, Vinay was named Karnataka’s head coach. So, a question cropped up in the writer’s mind about Vinay’s plans for shaping Karnataka’s future. He noted: “We have very good talent. For me, as a head coach, it is important to bring all of them together and go towards the target. And the more tough cricket that we play, the better it will be for us to achieve our goals.”
The Karnataka state side is also going through an interesting phase. During the 2025-26 domestic season, when Karnataka reached the Ranji Trophy final, we saw youngsters such as Kruthik Krishna, Shikhar Shetty, Mohsin Khan, Abhilash Shetty, KL Aneesh, Yashovardhan Prantap and others finding a place in the team. Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal, Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, Shreyas Gopal, Devdutt Padikkal, Vijaykumar Vyshak and Vidwath Kaverappa are still around. Generally, a few Karnataka cricketers would also be on India duty.
Vinay said: “We have good youngsters coming up. Shikar Shetty, Abilash Shetty, Aneesh… they are all in their mid-20s. Along with them, we have other good players who can achieve a lot for the state. As a coach, it is a great sign that we have enough players between 20 and 30. The more opportunities they get, the better they will become.
“For that, KSCA’s Dr (Capt.) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Cricket Tournament is very important. KSCA will be having four teams. I think 60 members will be playing in that tournament. It is an opportunity for them to showcase their talents. As coaches, we will be observing closely,” he noted.
“Coming back to the same thing, the more players that I get, the easier it will be to get the best out of them. It is a long season, there will be some injuries and small niggles, and we will need to have back-ups. As a coach, we should search for back-ups. The back-ups should be ready. In that way, we are blessed to have so many cricketers. Hopefully, the boys will take the opportunities and do well.”
Vinay also opened up about his coaching stints and the essentials of coaching when it comes to communicating with the modern generation of players.
“I have been coaching MI Emirates for the last four years. The first year, as a bowling coach, and the last three years as an assistant coach. Also, I have been a part of Mumbai Indians as a scout for the last four years.
“Because I was the scout and the coach, I have got two advantages. One, all over the country, I have seen the talent and how these upcoming youngsters think,” he said. “Second, I have worked with three legends of the game. So, I know how to handle the players, the situations and how to understand the needs of the upcoming cricketers.
“When I played, it was eight to 10 years ago. Now, the generation demands something else. For me, it is about having those two opportunities where I have coached and also been a scout, and that really helps me to bring the best out of these guys.
“It is all about me understanding what they really want, how they want to understand the game. That will help me with this dual role. There shouldn’t be something like a barricade of a coach. They shouldn’t be scared; the openness should be there. They shouldn’t hold back anything.
“If somebody is playing well, what will be his thought process? If somebody is playing badly, what will he be thinking? If he has that openness to come and say this to me, it would be easier for me to help them and maybe give them suggestions to get better,” he added.
Karnataka continue to be a formidable force in Indian domestic cricket. However, there is a small caveat to add: Karnataka have fallen at the final couple of hurdles in the Ranji Trophy over the previous nine years. The last time they lifted the coveted trophy was under Vinay in 2014-15. So, what does Vinay think about Karnataka’s lack of finishing touches in the Ranji Trophy?
“That itself is a great achievement, right?” Vinay quipped. “The way they are performing. After we won in ’14-15, the team reached the final, semis, they qualified most of the time. They are playing some good cricket. Unfortunately, in the knockout phases, what happens is that one or two bad sessions could go against you. That might have happened many times.
“I am proud of our boys, the way they played last year. They reached the final. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. Still, they are good players. The kind of batters we have: Mayank, the way Devdutt is batting, in between Prasidh and KL Rahul have come over and played, we have Karun too. Along with them, there are upcoming players. It is a mixture of youth and experience.”
As the discussion veered towards its conclusion, it was back to travelling through time, with Vinay recounting some of his fondest memories.
“The Punjab game (2013-14 Ranji Trophy), when I took five wickets. I had a niggle, went out, came back and took five wickets with a short run-up. Then that semi-final game against Mumbai in 2014-15 at the Chinnaswamy, where we scored 180 (202) and they were all out for 46 (44). There I took six wickets.
“More than that, the final where I scored a hundred and took five wickets in one game. I was the only captain to achieve that feat after Vijay Hazare. Those are the great memories. I took two hat-tricks, one against Maharashtra, the other one against Mumbai. That was a quarter-final game. There are so many memories.
“For me, more than my personal milestones, winning trophies is important,” said Vinay. “That shows what kind of player you are. For me, it is about everyone coming together and winning those tournaments. That gives me more satisfaction.”
Those last few lines perfectly sum up Vinay Kumar’s domestic career. He was a lion-hearted performer who also turned out to be a successful captain. As he steps into the shoes of a head coach, fans will hope and believe that one of the stalwarts of the state can take the side to greater honours.
The post Vinay Kumar — Of shaping Karnataka cricket’s future and memories appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
