Shashikumar Kamble, a 21-year-old cricketer, has been chosen to represent the State team in the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches from January 5 to March 14, 2024, bringing pride to Kalaburagi district.
Kamble is the third player from the district to be selected for the Ranji team, following Raghuttama Navali in 1998 and Vijay Madyalkar in 2000.
Coming from a humble background, as the son of a construction worker, Kamble initially stood out as a batsman, scoring 287 runs in five matches for the zonal under 14 team. He was the sole player selected from the Raichur Zone for the Vijay Merchant under 16 tournament organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
However, he eventually shifted his focus to bowling and impressed with his right-arm off-spin variations, securing 7 wickets in four matches for the Vijay Merchant under 16 team and 16 wickets in five matches in the under 14 tournament.
In divisional level tournaments, Kamble continued to excel, taking 30 wickets in five matches in 2017-18 and 23 wickets in five matches in 2018-19.
He also represented the Mangalore United team in the Maharaja Trophy T20 tournament organized by the Karnataka State Cricket Association in August 2022, and set a record for the highest number of wickets in the under 19 Cooch Behar tournament organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Kamble has also been chosen for an advanced cricket coaching camp at the National Cricket Academy, further showcasing his talent and potential in the sport.