Varun Aaron Shares Insights On What Makes MS Dhoni Who He Is

Varun Aaron might have had an injury-laden career but has still managed to leave a mark in Indian cricket. The Jharkhand pacer, who announced himself with his sheer pace and went on to represent India in 9 Test matches, recently bid adieu to first-class cricket. The 34-year-old will continue to ply his trade in white-ball cricket. During an interaction with ABP Live, when Aaron was asked to look back at his first-class career, he said that he was proud of what he managed to achieve despite a career marred with injuries.

“It’s been 17 seasons. I think I am the first fast bowler from Jharkhand to play Test cricket  for India which is not very easy considering the kind of wickets we get in Jharkhand to bowl on. It’s difficult to explain,” he told ABP Live.

“I am really proud that I could play Test cricket for India from Jharkhand,” he added.

Getting Too Much Into Technique Takes The Joy Out Of The Sport

When asked to give an advise to his younger self, the Jamshedpur-born speedster said that if there is one suggestion he would probably give to his younger self it would be not to get caught up on technique too much but also focus on what the batter is doing.

“The reason why I got caught up in technique was because I was having so many injuries.  You know I was getting stress fractures almost every single year. So I had to give really to get really deep into technique to us and play the game and I think it’s a double-edged sword. I could play the game for so long also only because I got into techniques,” he said.

“You know I was aware that I could make changes when I could feel certain places of my body getting loaded extra and stuff like that. I would definitely tell all the youngsters out there getting too much into technique takes the joy out of the sport, you know. At the end of the day, you want to get the batsman out. You don’t want to be focusing on yourself but on the batter in front of you,” he explained.

“Maybe I could have toned down a little less on technique. That’s the only advice I would give to my younger self,” he stated.

On whether Ranji Trophy is losing its charm, Aaron said that India’s premier first-class cricket competition still holds value but it is being outshone by the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

“Ranji Trophy still holds value. Yeah, but at the end of the day. It is being outshone by the IPL which is a fact since it’s a fast track way of getting into the Indian team,” he reckoned.

When asked to share his thoughts on Umran Malik, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer who has also made a name for himself through his speed much like Aaron, he said:  “I definitely feel Umran Malik has a lot of potential but he needs a good team around him. I really understand the benefits of having a good team around you like I was lucky to have Dennis Lilley.”

“I would love to meet him and chat with him in the future when the opportunity presents itself but I would love to see him play for India for a long time.”

There Is A Reason Why MS Dhoni Is Who He Is

While Aaron made his Test and ODI debut under MS Dhoni, he also went on to lead Dhoni when the two played together for Jharkhand in Vijay Hazare.

“I was the captain but I was learning so much from him. Just the angles on the field, certain suggestions he gave me, the timing of the suggestion, the timing of, I think his timing of making decisions is perfect. It’s unbelievable. His instinct, he trusts his instinct so much. It’s really good.”

“I think everybody should really tune into their instinct the way he does. I feel as a cricketer, a lot of the times your instinct is telling you to do the right thing, but your experience is telling you to do something else, you know, a lot of people go by the experience and not their instinct but MS is somebody who has struck the perfect balance of experience and instinct, you know, because sometimes your instinct can throw you some crazy suggestions. But not everybody goes on the instinct. But MS is somebody who can sift through, okay what is the right decision at this point and see if it’s making sense. There is a reason why he is who he is.”

(This is the third of a three-part exclusive conversation with Varun Aaron. In the first installment, we saw the pacer recall the first time he breached the 145-Kmph mark, in the second we came to know how Dennis Lillee and the MRF Pace Foundation/Academy played an important role in developing Varun Aaron as a Test bowler. For other major updates from the sporting arena, follow ABP Live’s Sports Page.)