If ever there was a Pepsi IPL journeyman, it has got to be Owais Shah. After being signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2009, the English batsman has gone on to represent three other franchises.
Currently in his second season with Rajasthan Royals, Shah is still waiting for his first appearance in this year’s tournament. He admits it’s frustrating but puts team before self.
“It’s still early days and the four overseas players selected by the management have done reasonably well. So, I guess, you just have to wait for your turn,” said the 34-year-old at a press conference where he charmed the gathering by speaking in Hindi.
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Shah reckons that a total of 170 will win his team most matches at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, where it meets Kings XI Punjab on Sunday.
The English batsman is also bemused by the characterisation of teammate S. Sreesanth as “volatile.”
“He’s a really nice bloke and quite friendly. I have never had a problem with him. He’s totally focused on his cricket and will be in the right frame of mind for the match,” believes Shah, referring to the ‘Slapgate’ controversy.
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KXIP coach Darren Lehmann agrees with the batsman too and reckons the Kerala pacer is one of the leading bowlers for RR.
After his side’s 10-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, the Australian has not made any specific changes to his side’s preparation for Sunday’s contest.
“We were A-grade in our first match against Pune but poor in the next game. Consistency is necessary for doing well in this tournament. We have a fit squad with only Shaun Marsh missing due to injury,” said Lehmann.