Anureet Singh, one of the top wicket-takers for Kings XI Punjab, loves to put himself through the grind. Bubbling with enthusiasm and energy, the turbaned Railways seamer is delighted to see his toil of the last two years paying dividend.
The 27-year-old has honed his skills by volunteering to bowl a lot. “'The more you bowl, the better are the chances of taking wickets. Last season I had bowled 350 overs and taken 44 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.
“This season I bowled 300 overs and took 32 wickets. I had prepared well to bowl longer spells and it produced the desired results. Working on strength also increased my pace,” Anureet told
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Anureet stressed on the importance of using the off-season well for success.
“The more you play the better it is. One must use the off-season well and play for clubs. The year before last, I had played the Time Shield before the Ranji Trophy.
“I had bowled close to 100 overs in two matches and it made a difference. When I started in Ranji I had the same aggression and approach.”
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A good and quick learner, Anureet picked up every bit of knowledge that came his way. If Wasim Akram helped him recover from a back injury during his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010, his former Railways captain and present Kings XI coach Sanjay Bangar advised him on how to train and teammate Mitchell Johnson gave him tips on how to increase his speed. “Johnson is a world-class fast bowler. He told me to focus on strengthening exercises. I had asked him how to improve my speed and he gave me some inputs. Last September when I bowled in the Champions League my fastest delivery was at 133kmph. But this year my average speed is 135kmph.”
With seven wickets from four matches, Anureet is happy to be part of the Kings XI pace battery that includes Sandeep Sharma, Thisara Perera, Shardul Thakur and Parvinder Awana. “We have a good bowling unit. We back each other and are happy with one another’s success.
“To perform well for such a good team at this level gives me a lot of confidence,” he said.