Wedged in a group of former champions, it was imperative for Kerala to start its home campaign with a win. After beating the weather gods to pocket the maximum seven points from the Ranji Trophy 2026 round two match against Odisha, both captain Vishnu Vinod and coach Swapnil Asnodkar were happy with the manner in which the team bounced back to overcome the adversity.

“Our game plan was very simple. We only wanted to bat once in this match. Our plan was to score 350 runs but got fifty extra runs and I have no complaints,” said Asnodkar.

“We didn’t have the best of starts on the first morning, but credit to both Sachin Baby and Mohammed Azharuddeen for hanging in there and making it count. We have two good experienced spinners, and they can be lethal when there is little help for them. Odisha fought well, but Jalaj’s strikes late on the third day made the difference. In a way, it was a perfect match for us.”

It is early days in Vishnu Vinod’s captaincy tenure, but he has shown the calmness and maturity needed for the job. After tasting his second win as captain, Vishnu praised the effort of the batters and spinners.

“Things have gone the way we planned. I am happy with the way we have batted so far this season. There have been contributions from the top order, and there are already three centuries this season.

“I am sure others will strike form as the season progresses. Spin is definitely our strength. It was important to rotate the spinners and give them enough rest. We got wickets at regular intervals and at the right time,’’ he said.