P. Krishnakumar has worked silently and tirelessly to hone J&K\u2019s bowling unit. He was roped in by Mithun Manhas, who was convinced he was the man for the job. \u201cI am indebted to Mithun,\u201d said Krishnakumar.<\/p>\n
Krishnakumar first saw Auqib Nabi at the team nets during the 2023-24 Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. \u201cI was stunned by his wrist position. It was strong and firm. His ball skidded, and what impressed me was the speed at which he could bowl long spells without stress. He had a splendid outswinger, and I told myself the team had found a winner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nabi never had a coach and was blessed to find one in Krishnakumar. \u201cIt was a challenge, but I enjoyed it,\u201d said Krishnakumar.\u00a0\u201cI conducted specific sessions for Nabi and the rest, too, to enable them to understand the playing conditions, the pitch and the biomechanics required to make the best use of their craft. The best thing about Nabi was that he never said NO, and that made my job all the more enjoyable.\u201d<\/p>\n
A highlight of Krishnakumar\u2019s coaching is teaching his students the importance of releasing the ball the right way. \u201cYou have to feel the ball. With regular practice, the boys were able to master this skill. It came from hard work and their desire to deliver. Nabi, especially, has a natural ability to land the ball on the seam, like (Mohd.) Shami. Nabi is lethal with the semi-new ball. He has a simple, ideal action. The J&K bowlers have a dot-ball percentage of 70, which means the batters have to constantly play the ball. It made a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Krishnakumar taught the bowlers to remain calm.\u00a0\u201cThere were times when things didn\u2019t work for them, but they did not panic. The bowlers put in a bit extra. The fast bowlers were happy to bowl long spells. Nabi, in particular, never missed a practice session and has played more than 50 matches for the team. I was careful in managing their workload; I just couldn\u2019t afford an injury to any of them.\u201d As a coach, Krishnakumar stood out. He worked with fast bowler Yudhvir Singh and helped him develop an impactful outswinger. Left-arm medium-pacer Sunil Kumar had a habit of angling the ball and losing out on swing. \u201cHe comes from a village near Akhnoor, where he did not even have a proper pitch to bowl on. He prepared a cemented surface and took lessons from me over video. I had to teach him the basics of swing bowling and release,\u201d said Krishnakumar.<\/p>\n
Krishnakumar lauded the efforts of the bowlers and fielding coach Dishant Yagnik.\u00a0\u201cThrough the season, we dropped only five catches. Hats off to Dishant for his hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the opinion of his longtime friend and former India batter Gursharan Singh, Krishnakumar\u2019s support was critical to J&K\u2019s success. \u201cHe is excellent at training newcomers. He has a fantastic ability to detect and correct mistakes. He taught the bowlers to take wickets, and that is how J&K won the Ranji Trophy,\u201d stressed Gursharan, a qualified BCCI coach.<\/p>\n
Published on Mar 11, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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