Rookie paceman Tushar Deshpande wants to learn from seasoned pros like Kagiso Rabada and Ishant Sharma, while teammate Lalit Yadav is aspiring to join the list of young guns who have done well for Delhi Capitals in the previous seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 25-year-old right-arm fast-medium Deshpande, who has 50 wickets from 20 Ranji Trophy games for Mumbai, is simply happy that he is back to what he loves doing after a six-month COVID-19 forced break.
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Speaking on the back of a nets session at the ICC Academy, Deshpande said, ”It is my first ever IPL so it is always special. But for me, what makes it extra special is the fact that I am getting to do the thing I love the most, which is bowling. I am finally bowling after almost 6 months so it is a different challenge.”
“All the bowlers here are my seniors with prior IPL experience. Having people like Ishant and Rabada help first-timers like me,” said Deshpande, who possesses a whipping run-up.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for me because, by the time I get to make my debut, I would have got some feedback from them, and hopefully that would help me stay ahead and plan my strategy accordingly during the matches,” he added.
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Yadav, a big-hitting middle-order batsman and a handy off-spinner, feels that Capitals provides the perfect platform that any newcomer would aspire.
“Delhi Capitals is the team known to give a good platform to the youth. We have so many examples already in our team. Our captain Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and even Rishabh (Pant) were all identified by Delhi,” Yadav, who enjoys a strike-rate of 136 plus in 30 T20 games so far, said.
The 23-year-old lanky all-rounder feels it’s the perfect opportunity for him.
“So, it is definitely the perfect opportunity for me, and I aspire to perform and go on to represent India like they have done,” said Yadav, who is confident that he won’t be overwhelmed by the occasion.
“I know some of the players from domestic cricket already – like Ishant bhaiya, Shikhar bhaiya and Rishabh Pant – and now I am getting to know the others too. For a youngster like me, the IPL is a very big opportunity and I am hoping to make the most of it through my performances,” he added.
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