Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) spinner, Murali Kartik, believes that spinners now have a vital role to play in Twenty20 cricket, a vast improvement from the early days when they were considered ‘easy meat’.
Kartik, who joined RCB this season after stints with the Pune Warriors and Kolkata Knight Riders, spoke to the media after the team's camp at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Pacer Zaheer Khan, who is returning after a calf injury, did light training, but did not bowl at the nets.
Excerpts:
Role of spinners in T20s:
At first, everybody thought that spinners will be easy meat. Now, many spinners bowl close to three overs in the Powerplays. From being cannon fodder, we’re bowling in the Power Plays, which shows how a spinners' role has evolved.
We have seen teams defend 145-run targets because the spinners have had a massive role to play in it.
Balance of the side:
I don't know which eleven players will come out on the park, but I think RCB has a lot of exceptional young Indian talent. And I think everyone knows about how good our overseas players are.
Kohli’s captaincy:
Virat (Kohli) is a young guy with precocious talent. He has got attitude, zeal and fire. These are good qualities to have as a captain. The world is at his feet, and he can do anything he sets his mind to. Such is his frame of mind right now.
IPL as a platform to get back into the Indian team:
Personally, I have never looked at IPL performances as a criterion to get picked in Tests or T20s. I have played the world over, and I am doing in well in county cricket, so I don’t look at only the IPL as the way to get into the Indian team. The way I see it, you need to do well for whichever side you play for, in whichever format.
Inability to find a place in the Indian team:
You can’t fight destiny. God has been kind to me, and has allowed me to play for the country. I’m sure there are a lot of guys who will be happy to be where I am today. All I can do now is to bowl and bat well, every time I step onto the field.
