From medical college training ground to Kerala's Ranji hero; Abhishek Pratap Nair has arrived

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was showering praise from all quarters for Abhishek Pratap Nair. The youngster's maiden first-class century provided a solid foundation for Kerala's resistance in the Ranji Trophy match against Jharkhand. Abhishek scored 126 runs off 205 balls, hitting 10 fours and five sixes. He also forged an 83-run opening partnership with Rohan Kunnummal and a 123-run stand for the second wicket with Sachin Baby.

Nair, known among friends as ‘Abhi’ began his cricketing journey at the age of four under SAI coach Biju George at the Medical College ground.

It just took two Ranji Trophy games for the left-handed opener to reach his maiden ton. However, this marks the first time he has featured in the starting XI. Last season, Nair stepped in as a concussion substitute during the second innings of a match against Saurashtra after Kerala's opener, A. Akarsh, was injured while batting; Abhishek played a key role in securing a draw by scoring 19 runs off 87 balls.

Abhishek hails from Kumarapuram, Thiruvananthapuram. He is the only son of Pratap M. Nair, an army man, and Rekha P. Nair, a teacher. At a time when most kids were getting used to school, Abhishek was already practising defensive blocks. It was his father’s initiative that led to Abhishek getting enrolled in a cricket coaching class while in LKG.

When senior players—including Sanju Samson—played at the Medical College ground, Abhishek would be there with them, often regarded as the "baby" of the group. Later, he trained under coach Ajay Prasad at the SAP Ground in Peroorkada. Biju George noted that Ajay Prasad played a significant role in Abhishek's development as a batter. Training sessions with P. Prashanth—a former Kerala player and chief selector who is now the team mentor—also helped hone his skills. Abhishek currently plays for the Trivandrum Royals in the KCL, and like many others, he aims to break into the national team by delivering outstanding performances for Kerala.