Murali Kartik, 34, a veteran on the Indian and the English First Class scene, has adapted to Twenty20 cricket as well. The conventional left-arm spinner has played 28 IPL matches — the first three seasons for Kolkata Knight Riders and in action for Pune Warriors in the fourth. He would be happier, though, if his statistics were to be better than 16 wickets at 38.81.
“The spinners have played their part and have evolved in the IPL. There are not many things in this format of the game that are conventional and hence the bowlers have to do certain things to keep the batsmen in check,” he said.
He said the bowlers' objective was always to limit the damage in Twenty20 cricket.
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“For a conventional left-arm spinner, I won't do certain things in a First Class match or a 50-over game but Twenty20 forces you to do that. I am always trying to minimise the damage. Bowlers are trying to come to grips with this fact. They have to possibly come up with something new. I don't know if bowlers can really stop the boundary shot.
“Every team (has) plans; it's a question of winning the mini-battles in terms of being ahead of the game. If a team makes a simple mistake it can cost the game.
“The bowlers are always trying to second-guess the batsmen. It's a question of each player thinking on his feet, especially with the game going quickly. The players need to make those simple decisions with a stable head. That does wonders.
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“It's not easy for the captain to control everything in this format of the game. So each and every player has to manage his own space and take decisions. The games are being played thick and fast.”
Kartik said with two new teams and more players coming into the fray, the IPL has become more competitive. “After the auction, people were talking about the two strong teams (Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings). But people have done their homework and have managed to create good sides.
“On a given day, if a team does things right in this format it definitely has the chance to cross the line. All the teams have quality international and Indian players.”