Exclusive: Hottest product in Bengal Pro T20 League, Pradipta Pramanik is controlling the controllable

Bengal's left-arm spinner-allrounder Pradipta Pramanik was the first-ever player picked in the Bengal Pro T20 League 2024 when Srachi Rarh Tigers chose him as their first-choice player. Not only that, as per reports, Pradipta Pramanik was the first-choice player for seven out of the eight picks in the Bengal Pro T20 League. 

Before the tournament starts on June 11, Pradipta shared thoughts on his game plan, becoming an all-rounder, expectations, pressure and everything in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.

When Pradipta's parents took him to a cricket coaching camp at the age of 5, he did not have any idea or interest in cricket. Even when he played his first season in the second-division league in Kolkata, he was just having fun. But then came the Cricket Association of Bengal's U-16 tour to Bangladesh, which changed everything for the left-arm spinner.

On that tour to Bangladesh, Pradipta realised that, yes, he could make a career in cricket and needed to be serious in this. Then, he went on to play for the Bengal U-16s and U-19s and debuted in first-class cricket for Bengal at just an 18-year-old boy in 2017.

"As a professional player, you have to accept things and move on"

Since then, Pramanik has played 14 first-class, 24 List-A and 18 T20 matches for Bengal. During these seven seasons, Pradipta had to sit out in many games for Bengal due to team combination issues. While sitting out for Bengal, Pradipta saw some of his U-19 India teammates getting ahead of him and even playing at a higher level.

But, those days when he had to sit on the bench and encourage others to win it for the team, had made the 25-year-old spinner only stronger.

"Yes, it is tough to be in those situations when you have to sit out due to team combinations. I used to feel bad earlier. But, I soon realised that there is no gain in that and as a professional player I need to accept this and move on in life," Pradipta told Sportz Point.

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From being in and out of the team to becoming the hottest product in Bengal cricket

During those tough times, the young left-arm spinner felt he needed to control the controllable and do what was in his hands without thinking about who was watching.

"I always kept on doing my thing. Be it getting my bowling and batting sessions done, or doing my fitness work whenever there was an opportunity, I focused on what was in my hands and kept doing the smart hard work irrespective of whether someone was watching or not," Pradipta added.

"I knew that hard work would return some favour"

Pradipta, from a young age, believed in doing the work without focusing on the results. Be it after six or seven years, the Bengal Cricket now gives him the attention he always deserved. Pradipta knew that if it was not in cricket, it would return in some other way in his life.

"I knew that hard work would return some favour. Even if it does not come in cricket, I always believed it would return some favour in other ways."

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"The job in the income tax helped immensely"

In those difficult times as a player, Pradipta always had the support of his family, especially his father, who was the sole reason Pradipta came to cricket as a kid. "My family has been a backbone for me. They have always allowed and backed me to play cricket, especially my father," Pramanik said.

Coming from a lower-middle-class family, Pradipta knew he needed stability to take care of his family. That is when a job in the Income Tax as a professional player helped him greatly and allowed him to go all-out in cricket.

"There is nothing guaranteed in sports. You never know what will happen to you. So, having a job in the income tax has helped me become more secure as a person and go all-out with my cricket," Pradipta added.

The white-ball format, IPL and becoming an all-rounder

Though Pradipta has been in and out of the Ranji Trophy playing XI, he has been consistent in the white ball format for Bengal in the last few years. However, despite doing good with the ball and topping the charts in the best economy rate in India, somehow Pradipta has not been able to attract IPL contracts till now.

"I had taken ten wickets in 2022/23 SMAT with an economy rate of under six (5.5), which is great if you talk about T20 cricket. But, none talked about me. So, then, I felt unless we as a team are playing finals and winning trophies, it would be tough for us to attract IPL contracts," Pradipta expressed.

In that context, the young spinner feels if he can contribute with the bat alongside doing well with the ball, can be more beneficial for the Bengal team which eventually would help them be in the limelight.

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Competition with Shabhaz

Both Shahbaz Ahmed and Pradipta had always shared a competition within the team to play as a left-arm spinner for Bengal. And, sometimes, Pradipta had to be the one to sit out if there was only one place available for a left-arm spinner in the team. 

Despite that, Pradipta does not feel any competition with the current SRH star. "There is no competition with him," he said. 

"How can you say we have competition when both of us have played together in the same match many times? He is a batting all-rounder and I am a bowling all-rounder. I feel if we can do our best as all-rounders, we can help Bengal win more often than not. "

Being the hottest product in Bengal Pro T20 League

1st player of the draft: Pradipta Pramanik

Team: Srachi Rarh Tigers #BengaProT20League

— Koushik Biswas (@kbofficial25) May 19, 2024

After years of struggle, fight and dedication, Pradipta is finally reaping the rewards of tough times. Nearly every team wanted him in their team, and that made him feel good about the hard work he did in the last few years.

"I feel like I am at least doing good as a cricketer. When everyone is talking about you, it makes you confident in your own game. It feels great."

In IPL, we have always seen the most expensive player of the auction feeling the pressure of expectation and crumbling during the tournament. But, for Pradipta, there is no pressure. 

"I have been playing first-class cricket since I was 18. So, I do not feel any pressure now. Now it is just about doing my job and helping my team win," Pramanik expressed.