To even out the contest between the bat and the ball, the bowlers have been permitted two bouncers per over in the ongoing IPL 2024. While it does appear to be a welcome move considering how cricket continues to skew in heavily in favour of batters, especially in T20s, for the rule to be effective, bowlers will have to be judicious and use it the right way, feels Gujarat Titans allrounder Vijay Shankar.
“It has actually been a very tricky one – as a bowler, you can’t keep bowling that (bouncers). As a batter, if you set up and hit one or two (boundaries), then for a bowler to actually go to another plan is not easy. As a bowler, one has to use that in the right way. There are a few grounds in India which are really big in terms of square boundaries and on those venues, every fast-bowler will use bouncers,” Shankar said during a virtual press conference.
The allrounder also pointed out that the batters need to be well-prepared for the variety of deliveries.
“Usually, after the first bouncer is bowled, as a batter, you then become ready to hit the stripes. Now it is that anytime the bouncer can be bowled, or they can even use a slower bouncer. So, we need to be really smart as a batting unit and be prepared about the different kinds of deliveries one can face in a game,” Shankar added.
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Adapting & Executing
Shankar, who has batted at numbers 6 and 4 so far in the IPL 2024, believes that it is about adapting to the situations and taking the team across the finish line, and not worrying about the batting position.
“If you see the first game, I batted at number six, and in the second, I batted at number four. For me, it is about adapting to different situations because it is not easy for a player to keep playing up and down, but that is what is expected of me.
“Even last year, I batted at different batting positions and was able to do well for the team. It’s not about where I bat; it’s about whether I can adapt myself in a given situation and if I can take the team to a good position. If I can help the team win one or two from there, then it will be the best thing for me.”
The right-handed batter further explained that flexibility in the approach is key to batting at different positions.
“If I am batting at number four, five, six, and seven, then you have to be flexible about adapting your batting in different situations. It’s been very clear here and also, even last year, it was like this. In the game against RCB, I batted at number three and then in qualifiers, I batted at number six and seven.”
GT have a win and a defeat in the two matches they’ve played so far this IPL. While they lost to Chennai Super Kings, their contest with Mumbai Indians went close but they managed to pull off a six-run win.
The 33-year-old lauded the new captain Shubman Gill for the way he has been backing the players and leading the franchise.
“Honestly, I don’t see a big difference because as players, when you get your role clarity from the support staff, management, and even the captain, it actually becomes very simple. You just have to go out there and do what is expected of you. Last two years, it was Hardik (Pandya) and now it’s Shubman, so there’s been no difference actually.”
“In the first two games, there was really not much of a difference. The first game went really close, and we were able to pull things back. In the second, they (CSK) batted really well, and it became a tough game for us. But then, as a captain, it is about backing the players and he’s doing that really well,” he added.
‘One of the best team environments’
Shankar was all praise for GT head coach Ashish Nehra for the way he deals with every individual in the team and gives them equal opportunities.
“Honestly, it has been one of the best team environments in terms of everything. The way Ashish Nehra deals with every individual in the team is actually so heartening to see because it’s not easy to give importance to every individual on the side,” he said.
“When a practice session goes for almost five to six hours, which is very rare, every individual gets their opportunity and is treated equally in this team. We have the captain, senior players, as well as players who have just now come into IPL – but if you see in the dressing room, all are treated equally. So, that’s the best thing about this team for the last three years,” he added.
After playing their last game in Chennai, GT will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground in Ahmedabad on March 31.