Hyderabad: There are always moments of occasional calm during the storm. And the young Ravi Bishnoi seems to have such effect on the team, especially when everything was going haywire for them at the initial stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The team now seems to have survived the worst and proved their grit with powerful performances against the top three -- Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
From being the highest wicket-taker in the U-19 World Cup this year to crossing swords with the best on the 22-yard strip in the IPL, the 20-year-old has done it all dismissing nine batsmen in 10 innings so far at an economy of 7.91, a remarkable effort by T-20 cricket standards.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Bishnoi talks about sharing the dressing room with stalwarts of the game -- Gayle, Kumble and Rahul, his favourite spinner this season and what it means to him to be a part of the world's biggest league.
Excerpts:
Q. You have done well in the under-19 team and now you are sharing dressing room with legends for Kings XI Punjab. How is the feeling?
Yes, our age group was under-19 and we knew each other well and we were friends. From there to sharing dressing room at Kings XI where we have legends like Chris Gayle and Rahul bhaiya (KL Rahul) who are greats of their respective teams and countries, it's a great feeling. We all dream of playing IPL with such stalwarts of the game, and it's great that I am sharing dressing room with them.
Q. What do you think about the transition in the last one year. Now that you are playing under the wings of Anil Kumble, KL Rahul is your skipper, 'The Boss' (Chris Gayle) is your teammate and you are bowling against Virat and Dhoni and dismissing them as well. What do you feel about all this?
It's great. Anil sir (Anil Kumble) has always been my idol. We have seen him on tv and now I am sharing dressing room with him, bowling with him. It's everyone's dream and it was mine too. I am learning a lot from him. And 'boss' is the king of T-20 cricket. It's a great feeling to be around them.
Q. Who is your favourite leg spinner in the league currently?
I think Yuzvendra Chahal and Rashid Khan are bowling really well this this IPL. I am learning a lot from both of them. There is a lot to learn from Rashid's skills and Chahal's mindset.
Q. You did exceptionally well during the U-19 and expectations started to manifold with your success. Have you ever felt any pressure because of this?
Of course, pressure is always there since it's the biggest league in the world. But then it's a great opportunity as well and excitement is always there and you want to perform well for your team. I was excited and nervous. We are all trying to help the team win. I was a bit nervous in my first match but everything got normal after it ended.
