When Jalaj Saxena made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh back in 2005, he was picked purely as an off-spinner. His love for batting was reflected in the way he would spend time in the nets. It was not about whacking the ball around, but looking to time the ball just like a top-order batsman would do. The think-tank realized that Jalaj had it in him. And thus began his journey from a tailender to an opener. Jalaj is now an established opening batsman, and also Madhya Pradesh’s main spinner. With 11 five-wicket hauls and over 4500 runs in 81 games, Jalaj is one of the leading all-rounders in the country. He received the Lala Amarnath award for the best all-rounder in the Ranji Trophy (2014-15) for his 583 runs in 13 innings with two centuries and two fifties, and 17 wickets with one five-wicket haul. The effort almost took Madhya Pradesh to the quarterfinal before they missed the mark by just one point. “I am really happy to receive the BCCI award. My aim has always been to be a utility cricketer for the side and serve the team in whichever capacity I can. The award is an appreciation of my efforts and it will motivate me to keep giving my best,” Saxena said.

If the last domestic season was about his exploits with the bat, this season the 29-year-old made headlines with a 16-wicket haul against the Railways. His figures of 16 for 154 are the joint second best in the history of the Ranji Trophy. With 530 runs and 46 wickets, he is the highest wicket-taker and run-scorer for his team and also the third on the list of leading bowlers after the league stage. “We have been trying very hard to qualify for the knockouts and this season we have finally done that. It was disappointing to come close every time, but miss out on a berth. This has been a very good season for me. I had worked before the season and was confident after a good showing in the last season.”

With his consistent run in the last few seasons experts feel, Jalaj, who is a product of Indore Cricket, is close to getting an India call-up. But Jalaj insists he is not too perturbed. “It is every cricketer’s dream to play for his country. But, I don’t worry about the selections. I have to keep working hard. My job is to play. If I do well my performances will surely get noticed. If I start thinking about selections, I will be under pressure and it will affect my performance.” Asked to share his best moment, Jalaj said it was the time spent with the Mumbai Indians in 2013. “Sharing the dressing room with Sachin Tendulkar was a big moment for me. Like many, I have grown up idolizing him. The time spent with him and observing him from a close distance was an education. He had encouraging words for me and that boosted my confidence.”