‘I would like to get him out’: Ravi Bishnoi reveals his prized scalp in IPL 2020

Ravi Bishnoi’s exploits in the 2020 U-19 World Cup earned him a lot of plaudits, recognition and also a lucrative IPL contract. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) bagged him in the auction for a whopping amount of INR 2 crore.

On slow, square-turner pitches of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bishnoi could be a lethal weapon for his franchise.

Like most of the leg-spinners, Bishnoi doesn’t always rely on his stock delivery alone. He loves bamboozling batsmen with an occasional googly and slightly quicker deliveries at times. In fact, he started his career as a medium-pacer but switched to leg-break on the recommendation of his coach.

“The coaches in Jodhpur once saw me bowling leg spin casually without run-up; they were impressed and told me, I should try this. I worked hard at it and got better. So, the leg spin is mixed in a medium pacer’s run up,” Bishnoi said to Hindustan Times.

Within two weeks, KXIP will be playing their first match against Delhi Capitals.

Bishnoi would definitely want to leave his mark on the biggest stage of T20 cricket. On being asked about any favourite batsmen whom he will love to dismiss, the 20-year-old unhesitatingly named Steven Smith.

“I will take whatever comes. But yes, I would like to get Steve Smith out. He is the No1 Test batsmen and he plays spin very well.”

‘I am trying to learn a lot from Anil Kumble’

Not every cricketer gets an opportunity to train under his idol. Bishnoi is quite lucky in this regard. At KXIP, he will be working under his hero, Anil Kumble, who is the head coach of the franchise.

Bishnoi is making the best use of this opportunity and said that he is learning too many things under the mentorship of Kumble.

“He (Kumble) is one of the greatest spinners in the world, so I am trying to learn a lot of things from him and his experience. Whether it’s his match temperament, skills, how he handled the match situation, how he bowled the flippers, I am trying to learn all of that from him. Right now I have time to learn from him and this is the best opportunity for me,” said Bishnoi.