Kolkata: The news that 21-year-old Shikhar Mohan had earned his maiden India A call-up took only seconds to reach Jharkhand coach Ratan Kumar on Thursday, but it took him a little longer to process it. Mohan himself was on the other end of the phone, calling to share the news of his rapid rise into the India set-up.“I went silent for a little while. It felt good,” Ratan recalled. “He called me and said, ‘Sir, my name has come in India A squad.’ I congratulated him and told him how happy I was. It was a very emotional moment,” Ratan told TOI from Ranchi on Friday.The moment was equally special for Mohan and his family, with his father Suraj also calling Ratan after learning of the selection. What makes the occasion remarkable is the speed of Mohan’s journey.Having made his first-class debut for Jharkhand only last year, the opener has forced his way into the India A squad in little more than a season – and after playing only 12 first-class games. Mohan will replace wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul for the last two four-day games against New Zealand A as Rahul will join India ODI squad after the first game of the three-match series, beginning Saturday.The southpaw’s recent performances have accelerated that journey. He was one of East Zone’s key contributors in their Duleep Trophy triumph, their first title in nearly 14 years, before producing another significant innings for Rest of India against Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup on a seaming Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium wicket in Srinagar.For Ratan, however, the India A call-up is the latest chapter in a relationship that goes back almost a decade. He has watched Mohan progress through the age-group ranks.“I have been with him since under-14 days, so it’s been 8-9 years now. From the beginning, I felt he was such a talented player that it was possible he could play for the country,” Ratan said.The coach admitted the selection did not come completely out of the blue. Mohan’s consistency had begun to attract attention, including from India selector RP Singh, who watched him recently during the Duleep Trophy matches, and Pragyan Ojha, the then interim chief selector and now chief selector.“I was expecting it a little because of the way he was performing. RP Singh had also come to watch his match (in Duleep Trophy), so I felt it was getting very close. He did well there too,” Ratan said.Mohan will continue to practise with his Jharkhand Ranji Trophy teammates in Ranchi till Saturday, before leaving to join the India A squad in Christchurch for the second game starting on Oct 31.Mohan’s departure leaves Jharkhand with a sizeable hole at the top of the order, given how quickly he had established himself as one of the side’s dependable batters.Yet Ratan sees the vacancy as an opportunity for another youngster to emerge, much as Mohan did. “The other boys will get an opportunity. Shikhar was also given an opportunity and he performed. If a new boy gets a chance, he too can make the most of it. As a coach, that is the challenge — to prepare another player,” he said.For Ratan, though, the immediate feeling is pride: a player he first saw as an age-group talent is now joining other three from the state currently in the India set-up – Ishan Kishan, Kumar Kushagra and Anukul Roy. Incidentally, Kushagra is also in the squad for all three games.“There cannot be anything but happiness when one of your players gets there,” Ratan signed off with satisfaction.
