Stuart Binny on a Royal run

[1]

There is a familiar smile that greets you on a sunny morning at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Stuart Binny has never been so ‘insatiable’ in his life. Having enjoyed his best season in an eight-year career, the gifted all-rounder is hungry for more success. It, then, is hardly surprising that the talented cricketer is putting in the extra effort, even as the rest of his team-mates have called it a day after training.

For those who know Binny, it’s clearly the second coming. Having not had much success since making his debut in 2003, Binny joined the now-defunct Indian Cricket League before snapping ties with them in 2009 and accepting BCCI’s amnesty. From thereon, Binny hasn’t looked back.

He broke a long spell by registering his maiden hundred in Dharamsala in testing conditions in 2010, but the recent Ranji season is the one that has changed the course of his career.

The 27-year-old emerged as the fifth highest run-getter with 742 runs and chipped in with some handy contributions with the ball, and many were reminded of his father — the more illustrious Roger, who was part of the 1983 World Cup winning Indian team.

While some help from the senior Binny has helped Stuart resurrect his career the latter owes it to the strict fitness regime he followed before the start of the previous season. “I was touching 90 kilos last year and I knew that I had to do something about it,” says the younger Binny.

And he did more than just ‘something.’ In less than a year’s time, the stocky figure had disappeared. A tough fitness regime that he imposed on himself saw him shed a good 10 kg.

“I owe the transformation in my game to my weight loss. I worked hard in the off-season, and this started a good three to four months before the Ranji season. I trained really hard to get into shape. I started the training regimen immediately after the IPL-4 and it carried on for two months. Initially, I did a lot of cardio for two months to drop some weight. Then I gradually got into the gym to work on my strengthening,” explains Binny.

It’s just not physical stress that he had to undergo, he also had to make mental adjustments. Having been slotted at No 7 in batting, Binny never felt ‘in’ and was unhappy with having little time to plan his innings. A little bit of pep talk from his father helped, he says.

“Dad asked me not think about external things and instead enjoy my batting. I changed my approach to batting. I took the first 20 minutes to get a feel of the conditions and the bowling. I consciously did not look at the scoreboard till maybe I was on 30 and cut down on my stroke-play in the beginning of my innings. And that has helped a lot in my batting,” he reasons.

Looking ahead, the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League, which starts on April 4, will no doubt determine Binny’s future. Having had enough experience in the T20 format, thanks to his successful stint with the ICL, Binny is set to explode this time around.

Having turned out for Mumbai Indians in the first three editions with limited opportunities, he opted for Rajasthan Royals the previous season. Given the red-hot form that he is in, Binny believes he can hit the high road in IPL-5.

“Ï haven’t had much opportunities till now, but hopefully, considering the form that I am in, I hope to get a lot more chances.”