He's the new Pandya on the block
In the same series, away from the spotlight, a 17-year-old quietly made his mark. Calm, composed, and resilient—Nitya J. Pandya scored a steady 54 in the first 'Test' and a determined 94 in the second.
Since then, Suryavanshi lit up the IPL playing for Rajasthan Royals, making waves across the country and beyond.
For Nitya, Cooch Behar Trophy became his canvas—two double hundreds, two centuries, and the tournament's top run-scorer (881 runs in six matches). His reward — A place in Baroda's Ranji Trophy squad.
Now, fate has brought him back to Chennai—the city that first embraced his talent. And once again, he has delivered: a match-defining 102 (first innings) and 54 against Odisha in the Buchi Babu tournament.
In an exclusive interaction with The Hindu, Nitya expressed his joy at coming back to the city. 'It's a great feeling to be back here, this place is like home to me. The wickets in Chennai are very batting-friendly, but you still have to be disciplined and patient. That's what I've focused on'.
Reflecting on his time during the 'Youth Test', he said, 'Playing against Australia was a huge moment. Representing your country is a privilege.'
Nitya credited his coaches for helping him stay grounded and focused, 'My coaches, Digvijay Rathwa and Ketan Panchal, helped me work on the basics during the off-season. My Ranji coaches, Mukund (Parmar) sir and Arvind sir, were also very supportive.
As for his ambition, 'I'm not chasing individual records, but yes, ultimately, I want to play Test cricket for India.'
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