Amarjit Kaypee ... shattered dreams © CricInfo

In a career spanning 20 years, he scored more runs in the Ranji Trophy than anyone else. Overtaking Ashok Malhotra in 1998-99, he notched up 7623 runs in the premier national competition. After a long and fruitful career, Amarjit Kaypee announced his retirement last week. CricInfo's Natarajan Sriram caught up with the 40-year-old Haryana batsman for an extended interview:

  On the early days of his career:   [Audio]

I started playing cricket right from school days. In 1974-75, I was selected for the inter district cricket tournaments. Then from there I was picked up for the National school games and in 1976, I joined DAV College and from there I entered mainstream cricket.

  On his debut and the initial years with the Punjab Ranji team:   [Audio]

My debut was for Punjab against Jammu and Kashmir in 1980. But before that I played in the Vizzy Trophy and I got a hundred against Delhi University in 1980 while playing for the Guru Nanakdev University. I scored 142 out of 240. Then I was selected for the Punjab team. I played in all 19 matches for Punjab for about six years. I aggregated 999 runs with three centuries before I decided to shift to Haryana.

  On what prompted the shift from Punjab to Haryana:   [Audio]

In 1988, I played a tournament in Gwalior called the Scindia Gold Cup. I was adjudged the best batsman there and then I got a message from Kapil Dev asking me if it was possible for me to shift to Haryana. Moreover at that time Haryana was qualifying more often for the knock out matches. So to get more chances I shifted to Haryana.

  The best period of his career:   [Audio]

The best period was in 1990-91 since I was the highest run getter in India. I scored 940 runs with five centuries at an average of 85.45. In 1986 when I shifted to Haryana I played six matches and scored 396 runs at an average of 79.20 with a best of 210 not out against Delhi and one century against Bihar in the knock out. Then the next year my average was 67 with one hundred. In 1989-90 my average was 66 with four fifties and a century but all through these years I was never selected to play in the final eleven for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy.

  On his elevation to captaincy:   [Audio]

Shortly after I joined the Haryana team, Rajinder Goel and Sarkar Talwar retired. This prompted the selectors to put me as captain in 1988. With the additional responsibility that it put on me, I started batting well.

  Inspite of the good performances, your appearances for North Zone were restricted and you never played for the country. Your thoughts:   [Audio]

Even after I got the double hundred against Delhi, I was not considered for the North Zone side which was filled with players from Delhi. That year my average was 79 with two centuries and though I was in the Duleep Trophy squad, I was never in the playing eleven because the captain and the manager were both from Delhi and there were eight to ten players in the Duleep Trophy squad were from Delhi. Despite continuing to score consistently over the years, I got a chance to play very few matches in the Duleep Trophy. The national selectors picked the sides from the Duleep Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy matches but I was not even given the chances to play for the zone. In 1986 when I scored the double hundred against Delhi and the century against Bihar, I was in the Deodhar team. I was in the eleven but I batted at no.8. We won all the matches by 7 or 8 wickets and I never got a chance to bat.

  On becoming the highest run getter in the Ranji Trophy:   [Audio]

I played in the Duleep Trophy matches in 1991-92, after having scored 940 runs in the Ranji Trophy the previous season. But in the 1992-93 season, I scored 431 runs in five matches with three centuries. After that I was dropped from even the North Zone squad. After that, I thought that I would not be able to get into the Indian team. So I set a target for myself that if I cannot make it into the Indian team, I can achieve something else. So I set a target that I would become the highest rungetter in the tournament. From that day onwards, I worked to achieve that target.

  On his future plans:   [Audio]

After having been involved so much with cricket, I wish to open a academy in the name of my father. But being a government officer, I do not think it would be possible. But I wish I could do so in order to teach the youngsters the basics of the game.

  On his team mates and others he played with:   [Audio]

I had a very good time with all of them. They always encouraged me when I scored a century or when I contributed for the team and when they were away on national duty, they would say that in their absence I would have to play and save the team.

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