Cricket
Cricket
Meet Atul Vitkar, an upcoming star of Indian cricket
The all-rounder from MMCC College Pune was awarded as the best player of the match at the Red Bull Campus Cricket 2021 India Final in Mohali.
Atul Vitkar put himself into the limelight of the with his performance at the men’s final of the Red Bull Campus Cricket 2021 India Finals.
Representing the famed cricketing college Marathwada Mitra Mandal's College of Commerce from Pune, Atul struck with the bat to score 42 runs off 32 balls, which included five boundaries.
His knock came at a time when his team needed him most while chasing a 141-run target set for them by opponents New LJ College of Ahmedabad.
Coming in to bat at number 5 for his team, Atul helped stabilize the batting order and built strong partnerships with teammates Sachin Bhosale and then Sanket Chavan to produce a lot of runs. Atul’s efforts were particularly important for MMCC in the 16th and 17th overs as he put a lot of runs on the scorecard during that team, just as the chase seemed to be slipping away from the Pune team as well.
Atul’s performance helped MMCC win the match by two wickets and claim the title of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2021 India Champions. It was the fourth time in 10 years that MMCC won the India title, which is more than any other college team in the country.
Atul Vitkar at Red Bull Campus Cricket
© Vaqaas Mansuri
Atul is a 22-year-old cricketer who was born in Solapur but moved at a young age with his family to Pune.
He started taking cricket seriously only at the age of 15 and enrolled for professional training at the time. Before this, he had only been enjoying the sport leisurely.
But in playing casually, he also experimented a bit.
“While playing with friends on smaller pitches, I got used to bowling and batting with both hands. I am stronger with my right hand, but I am comfortable playing with both hands if I need to,” says Atul.
He is a batting all-rounder who usually bats right-handed and bowls right-arm fast. But he can also bowl left-arm spin if needed.
He bats in the middle order and usually likes to play attacking, basing his game on timing and shot selection importantly. His favourite shots are the cover drive and sweep shot.
Atul trains at Club of Maharashtra in Nehru Stadium in Pune. He also represents the team in domestic tournaments. Most notably he has represented the team in the Maharashtra under-19 selections.
Atul Vitkar at Red Bull Campus Cricket
© Vaqaas Mansuri
His cricketing idols are Ambati Rayudu for batting and Jacques Kallis for his all-rounder abilities. Atul also has a special mention for Maharashtra state team player Naushad Shaikh who trains at Club of Maharashtra and guides him through his career.
“Naushad Shaikh is one of my idols. He has helped me a lot in my career and given me advice when I need it. I hope to be a successful player like him one day,” adds Atul.
In fact, it was Naushad Shaikh who advised Atul to participate in Red Bull Campus Cricket.
“I heard about Red Bull Campus Cricket from him. He told me it is a good tournament for upcoming players and that I should try to participate in it if I get the chance,” he says.
Atul has been part of the MMCC teams that won Red Bull Campus Cricket in 2017 and 2018.
Red Bull Campus Cricket is a good platform for a young cricketer to prove themselves to the world. The quality of cricket I have seen in the tournament is equal to that at state-level tournaments. We really need to prepare well to play in this tournament because it has good competition and is played on good wickets,” says Atul.
Atul Vitkar receives the Player of the Match award
© Vaqaas Mansuri
Red Bull Campus Cricket 2021 Men’s Final
New LJ College, Ahmedabad, 140/7 (20 overs) lost to MMCC College, Pune, 141/8 (19.3 overs) by two wickets. (Match played on 22nd October, 5pm, at PCA Stadium Mohali) Full scorecard (https://www.pitchvision.com/#/pvm/135542)
