Against Pondicherry on Tuesday at the Narendra Modi stadium, Vishnu Vinod was at his explosive best hammering an unbeaten 84-ball 162 studded with 14 sixes and 13 fours. Vishnu walked in when his team was in a spot of bother at 30 for two while chasing a target of 248. And by the time he ended the carnage, Kerala had won with 21 overs to spare.
As someone who plays the high-risk game, Vishnu needs backing and confidence from the team management. There have been times when his attitude was questioned and he was dropped after a few failures, including losing a place in the Ranji Trophy team this season. But Sanju Samson, the Kerala T20 captain and Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) backed him for the white ball cricket which paved the way for his selection to the SMAT and VHT squads.
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“It was disappointing not to be picked for the Ranji Trophy. But Sanju and the KCA backed me for white ball cricket. Though I got starts, I couldn’t convert it into big score in SMAT. I got injured and missed a few matches in SMAT. It was good to start with a century against Tripura in VHT and it gave me a lot of confidence.
Against Pondicherry, I was timing the ball well and I felt I was in my zone and since I was tasked to increase our run-rate, I attacked the bowlers, and it came off. I would like to play such knocks often and I am looking to be more consistent. I must thank people who trusted my ability and backed me. I hope I will be selected for the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches,’’ he said
Vishnu, who was retained by Punjab Kings, is also hopeful of playing in the IPL this season.
Published on Jan 07, 2026
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