Published: July 17, 2026 at 3:59 pm
Struggle has been the hallmark of Ajay Dev Goud’s career since he made his debut in 2018. The all-rounder has been in and out of the Hyderabad team. The all-rounder played in only four Ranji and 14 T20 matches and had a hard time to motivate himself as he was never sure of his place in the team. He was also dogged by injuries.
However, Ajay defied all odds to emerge as the top wicket-taker in the recently concluded Hyderabad Cricket Association’s TG20 tournament. He played a big part in Hyderabad E-Champions title triumph as he finished with 21 wickets.
Ajay Dev Goud with chief minister A Revanth Reddy
“It is a nice feeling that I could contribute to the team’s success. The franchise looked after the players very well, before and after the tournament. We also had the honour to meet the chief minister Revanth Reddy,” said Ajay.
“We had a very good supporting staff, headed by Anirudh Singh. There was a lot of energy and bonhomie in the team,” said the 26-year-old all-rounder.
Revenge gained: Hyderabad ace Khammam by six wickets to be crowned HCA’s TG20 champs
However, Ajay had an injury scare before the start of the tournament when he had a cut on the web of his right hand while fielding during a practice session. “When the ball struck my web, I said to myself ‘oh no’ because the ball hit me at the same place where I got injured a few years ago while attempting a caught and bowled chance. I had seven stitches then. I was lucky this time as I had only three stitches. It was painful and I could not hold the bat. I knew that I wouldn’t able to contribute with the bat. Fortunately, I was not required as a batter much as the top order performed exceedingly well throughout the tournament. But I was very determined that I should be useful to the team as a bowler. The franchise had shown faith in me as I was one of the first players to be picked in the auction,” said Ajay.
The sturdy swing bowler troubled all the teams with his hard lengths and clever variations. He had two four-wicket hauls, two three-wicket hauls and two wickets in the final to emerge as the best bowler of the tournament.
“I have evolved as a bowler. I have learned the hard way in handling the pressure. I like challenges. This tournament is a wonderful platform for both young and experienced players. This experience in playing in front of a big crowd would come as a good stead for many of the players. Luckily, I hit the right length and I could take wickets at regular intervals. It was one of the best tournaments of my career. This performance would be a big confidence booster for the new season,” he stated.
Ajay lauds coach Anirudh Singh
Incidentally, the Hyderabad E-Champions team had the top run-getter (Abhirath Reddy) and top wicket-taker (Ajay Dev Goud) in its rank. “I was lucky to have Anirudh sir as my coach. He was my coach when I played Hyderabad Under-16 and Under-19 tournaments. He is a man of few words but he was efficient in his way of handling the team. I have played under Abhirath in the local tournaments and we have a good understanding. As senior players, we did motivate the young players, who too rose to the occasion,” he said.
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Ajay has had a roller-coaster ride as far as his career is concerned. Touted as one of the talented all-rounders from Hyderabad, he toured Sri Lanka in 2018 with WV Raman coached India Under-19 team. The pace bowler was the highest wicket-taker with 9 wickets in the three match one-day series. But somehow, his career did not take off and he has been in and out of the Hyderabad team.
He made his first-class debut in the 2018-19 season but could not get enough chances to prove his mettle. He would play in two or three matches before being axed. “It has been testing time for me ever since my debut match in 2018. It was very difficult to motivate myself. I was quite low at times. I wonder where it is going wrong. I was always playing under pressure,” he said.
I was never sure of my place, says Ajay
The all-rounder played in only four Ranji and 14 T20 matches for Hyderabad. “In my first T20 match for Hyderabad under Ambati Rayudu’s captaincy, I took four wickets against Arunachal Pradesh in Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament. Then I did not get to play many games. I was never sure of my place. It was a struggle to be motivated. In one game against a strong Jharkhand team that had likes of Ishan Kishan and others, I took wickets also,” he said.
Ajay said that he loved bowling with the red ball. “The red ball tests your patience. It is all about line and length. I like to swing the ball. One needs to adapt to the conditions. I made my Ranji debut way back in 2018. I could not keep my place and then a side strain in 2020 did not help my cause,” he added.
However, Ajay is looking forward to the new season. “I want to be known as an all-rounder, who can bat and ball. I open in local leagues. This season, I have been given the opportunity to lead the newly promoted Imperial CC in the A-Division league. It is a big season for me. This performance in TG20 has given me confidence for the coming season,” he signed off.
