“I didn’t watch a lot of Tripura cricket. There were hardly any big names to follow. I grew up watching cricket on television. My father used to take me to tennis-ball matches in the village, and that’s where I developed my love for the game. Later, I joined the state government academy NSRCC in Agartala and played Under-12 and Under-14 cricket,” Murasingh tells The Indian Express.

From those early days on uneven village pitches to an academy in Agartala and now becoming Tripura’s captain and their most reliable all-rounder, Murasingh’s journey is one of perseverance and a quiet certainty.

That belief came alive again on Monday when Tripura secured a win over Karnataka. With Tripura wobbling in their chase of 198 runs, Murasingh chose simplicity over panic. “I didn’t think about the target. I was planning to play my own game because we had lost a couple of wickets and just wanted to bat through the innings,” he says.

After his blazing 69 off 35 balls helped Tripura tie the contest, Murasingh showcased his pressure-handling skills with the ball in the Super Over, conceding 18 to help Tripura win by four runs. “When Sridam (Paul) and I were batting, we just said that we needed to score 12-16 runs. We managed to score 22 runs. When I bowled the Super Over, I felt confident. You don’t chase 22–23 easily in a Super Over every day,” he adds.

The Karnataka win was preceded by another stirring result — a victory over Delhi — one that Murasingh believes reset the team’s self-belief. “That win was very important. The pitch was tricky, the ball wasn’t coming on, so we chose to bat first. Before that match, we had close games against Jharkhand and Saurashtra, but still slipped. So beating Delhi on that surface gave us, and especially the junior players, huge confidence.”

Murasingh is hopeful for an IPL slot. (PHOTO: Special Arrangement)

Another influential catalyst in Tripura’s growth has been the arrival of outstation players. Murasingh credits the role played by former India wicket keeper Wriddhiman Saha in helping improve their performances in the last few years.

“From my early days, we had strong domestic players – Nishi Shetty, Wilkin Mota, Yogesh Takawale, Abbas Ali, Parminder Singh and Udit Patel. When Wriddhi da (Wriddiman Saha) came, it made a huge difference. His experience helped the entire group. Our performances in Ranji Trophy, T20 and Vijay Hazare improved in the past 4-5 years largely because of experienced players like him. Vijay Shankar is quieter, but whenever you need input during a crunch situation, he gives good advice,” he adds.

Hoping for an IPL berth

But beyond the victories lies the opportunity that continues to elude him: the IPL. On Tuesday, the BCCI released a pruned set of 350 players who will go under the hammer at the auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16. Murasingh’s name was not on the initial list, but later in the day, he was added as one of nine additional players, taking the final count to 359.

His closest shot came in 2024, after a strong trial with the Rajasthan Royals.

He is more vocal while elaborating on Tripura’s wider cricketing landscape — the lack of a state T20 league and the realities of Northeast cricket, where Ranji Trophy matches begin at 8:30 am and December mornings turn batting into a test of survival.

“If you play in December or January, it’s difficult for batters to score runs. Scoring runs is not easy in Agartala or anywhere in the Northeast. It’s easier for bowlers but very tough for batters. But this is our challenge,” he says.

Not everything, however, is doom and gloom for Tripura cricket. A long-awaited new stadium is slated for mid-2026. Several subdivisions have started building AstroTurf indoor nets. “Right now, we have only two grounds in Agartala, so during the off-season, we mostly use indoor facilities and gyms. The administration is improving things — many subdivisions are getting AstroTurf or indoor nets. After 40 years of the same setup, these changes are necessary and will help the next generation,“ he concludes.