Former Vidarbha wicket-keeper batsman Aniruddha Chore got an opportunity to play for Ireland's county team North Down this season and he didn't disappoint the team management. In fact he is instrumental in taking his team to the final of one-day league for the first time in the last ten years.
Chore grabbed the attention of other county teams by scoring whopping 854 runs in 16 matches with three centuries and four half-centuries.
The journey of Aniruddha Chore who had played ten first-class matches for Vidarbha is very interesting. Facing an uncertain future in Vidarbha, Chore had left for Oman for better opportunities in 2018 and played for Khimji Ramdas (KR) group for two years. Then after marriage as there was no job opportunity for his banker wife in Gulf country, he tried his luck at Ireland where his wife was already working. “I got an opportunity to play for North Down thru an agent. As their regular wicketkeepar batsman had left the team they were also in search of one goood wicketkeeper batsman. Thus I got the chance and today I am happy that I have lived up to the expectations of team management”, he said.
Speaking about the standard of cricket in Ireland Chore said, “ Ireland has good cricketing structure. League cricket is very popular here and it can be gauged from the fact that talented cricketer like Vidarbha captian Faiz Fazal play in the league. Two Ireland national team players also play for North Down. The community is very strong here. Now people have started to recognise me after scoring heavily. I got some offers from other county teams but I a happy to play for North Down. Season by season I am deciding what to do”, he said.
Chore said along with playing cricket coaching is one of the important aspects in Ireland. “ While playing I am also concentrating on coaching aspect. I have already completed Level-1 coaching and now doing advance coaching”.
Asked if it is Vidarbha's loss and Ireland's gain, Chore smiled and said, “ Not at all, I don't have any regret that I didn't play much for Vidarbha. I got some chances but maybe I failed to deliver. There were more talented cricketers than me at that time. They got the chances ahead of me”, he said and signed off.
Chore's performance in league
Marches 15
Runs 854
Hundreds 3
fifties 4
Highest 140*
Average 106.75
Not outs :7
Wk dismissals: 25