Setbacks in the past, Kushagra hopes to remain 'in the eyes of the selectors'

After recovering from a back niggle that had prevented him from training during the last month, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra has returned to action with a fifty and a hundred in the first two rounds of the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. Ahead of the Duleep Trophy, which will kick off on August 28 in Bengaluru, Kushagra has declared himself fully fit for the domestic grind.

"Last month, I was not practising [my batting] or keeping, but I'm totally fit and good now," Kushagra said on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament. "While going into the Duleep Trophy, this [Buchi Babu] is a good match for us Jharkhand players and for me as well. The facilities, grounds and environment are a good preparation for the Duleep Trophy."

A separate back injury had earlier forced Kushagra to miss a chunk of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy and the Emerging Asia Cup last October. In the lead-up to a new domestic season, Kushagra has prioritised fitness, having worked hard with his father Shashikant, his de facto trainer, back at home, and with the BCCI's medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

"Before this tournament, I was at the NCA [CoE] and before that I was working with my dad," Kushagra said. "I was going early in the morning at 4.30-5am to work on my fitness and batting and keeping. Being at the NCA also helped because there are good coaches and physios there. I gave my yo-yo test and was ready for the Buchi Babu tournament.

"Missing the [Emerging] Asia Cup was a setback because it was important ahead of the IPL auction. The one who helps me is my dad. Even when I'm not with him, like when I'm in Tamil Nadu now, he gives me inputs on the phone and sends batting videos of players who are playing at the international level."

Kushagra, 20, has been part of a wider pool of targeted players shortlisted by the CoE in recent times. He made his India A debut in February 2024, scoring a run-a-ball 40 in the second innings against an England Lions attack that included Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts. That knock gave Kushagra the belief that he could succeed at the top level too.

"At that moment, I was sold in the IPL for [INR] 7.2 crore [to Delhi Capitals] and I was a bit confident to play for India A as well because I had scored a [Ranji Trophy] hundred against Services in Delhi. I scored 40-odd against England, so I was confident that I could score runs here also."

Kushagra, who is set to play for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, sees the tournament as a springboard for higher honours.

"Yeah, it definitely helps being in the eyes of the selectors," he said. "If you perform in these matches like Buchi Babu and Duleep Trophy, it can take you to the Indian team, but you have to be consistent at the same time.

"I'm keeping things very simple at the moment and I want to go there and express myself. I feel that 21-24 is a good age to get a debut for the Indian team and I'm just trying to give my best."

With Jos Buttler being Gujarat Titans' frontline keeper, Kushagra didn't get a game during IPL 2025 [after moving from DC], but he used the training sessions to pick the brains of Buttler, Matthew Wade (GT's assistant coach) and Parthiv Patel (who is also part of GT's backroom staff).

"I was not playing matches, but I thought I should keep because in domestic tournaments you bat a lot [during training] but don't keep much. Parthiv sir, Matthew Wade and Jos Buttler helped me a lot," he said. "Actually, I was not that comfortable when keeping to fast bowlers when the ball was wobbling too much. I [learnt] how I can tackle that [wobbling ball] in windy conditions like in England and all that."

Jharkhand had a poor start to the 2024-25 Ranji season, having no outright win to show for in their first five games. Then they beat both Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu at home to close out the season with back-to-back victories. Kushagra said the team had drawn confidence from toppling a strong Tamil Nadu team.

"We were brilliant in the last two matches at the Keenan Stadium [in Jamshedpur]," Kushagra recalled. "Our spinners were all over the batters, and we were performing above the Tamil Nadu team, which was good for us."

The last time Jharkhand's senior men's team won a domestic title was back in 2010-11, when their current association secretary Saurabh Tiwary had led them to glory in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy.

"I just want my team to win a particular format, and we also discuss these things about winning a tournament in my home, also because every day my mom says that you should win because Jharkhand have so many talented players," he said. "So, in my mind, there is always one thing: I want to win a trophy for my team and do whatever the team wants from me."