The 24-year-old Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batsman Anuj Rawat has opened up on his nerve-wracking first encounter with Jasprit Bumrah within the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Virat Kohli on the non-striker’s finish.
Within the 18th match of the Indian Premier League 2022, Royal Challengers Bengaluru locked horns with Mumbai Indians on April 9 on the Maharashtra Cricket Affiliation Stadium in Pune.
Whereas bathing first, Mumbai Indians did a good job, and using on Suryakumar Yadav’s good 68 in addition to Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma’s 26s, they posted 151/6 runs on the board.
When Royal Challengers Bengaluru got here to chase, Faf du Plessis wasn’t capable of play nicely and he could not get going. Nevertheless, his opening companion, Anuj Rawat, batted exceptionally nicely in opposition to Mumbai Indians, and after 8 overs, they have been on the rating of fifty with Rawat doing the majority of the scoring.
Rawat saved batting brilliantly within the innings and smashed 66 runs off 47 balls, with 2 fours and 6 sixes. He was concerned in an 80-run partnership with Virat Kohli, who hit 36-ball 48 and took RCB nearer to win. In the long run, RCB received the match by 7 wickets.
Nevertheless, all the things was not very clean for Anuj Rawat throughout his innings as he confronted the premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah whereas being 200 p.c nervous.
Talking about that conflict with Jasprit Bumrah, Anuj Rawat revealed that the RCB coach, Sanjay Bangar, helped him put together to cope with the specter of the star quick bowler.
“Earlier than that recreation in opposition to Mumbai Indians, our coach Sanjay [Bangar] sir had already sounded me off. He mentioned ‘Agar Bumrah aaya, kya lagta hai, kya ball daalega? Kya karega? (What do you assume Bumrah will bowl to you? What is going to he do?)’ I mentioned, ‘He’ll bowl full, the size to flick the ball’.
“He mentioned ‘Sure’, and actually that was the ball he bowled to me. He focused my legs, however I labored it away for a few runs,” Anuj Rawat instructed India’s Beneath-19 World Cup winner Manjot Kalra on his podcast.
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I used to be nervous for positive, in all probability 200 p.c nervous I might say – Anuj Rawat on Jasprit Bumrah
The wicketkeeper-batsman mentioned that the half-century in opposition to Mumbai Indians in entrance of Virat Kohli gave him an enormous confidence enhance.
“As for the knock, the fifty gave me a whole lot of confidence and what made it particular was after I obtained there, Virat Kohli was on the non-striker finish. I had already performed 3-4 video games earlier than that, however the consolation degree obtained higher and also you get to know that we now belong right here.”
In the meantime, Anuj Rawat mentioned that even after making ready to cope with Bumrah, he got here underneath super seeing the pacer operating in to bowl. Notably, Rawat scored 7 runs, excluding 2 leg byes, off 10 deliveries Bumrah bowled to him.
“I had by no means confronted him earlier than. That was the primary time. I used to be nervous for positive, in all probability 200 per cent nervous, I might say. Like I mentioned, Sanjay sir had already gotten me ready, so I used to be settled however nonetheless, while you see Bumrah coming in, it does hit you a bit of,” Anuj Rawat added.
