10 months ago
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Akash Madhwal, Mumbai Indians’ latest bowling sensation, has shot down the comparisons with senior Jasprit Bumrah after guiding his side to IPL 2023 Qualifier 2. Madhwal registered impressive figures of 5/5 as Lucknow Super Giants collapsed to 101 chasing a target of 183 in the Eliminator on Wednesday.
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Madhwal, who also is a yorker expert like Bumrah, was awarded the player of the match for his five-wicket haul. After the game, the 29-year-old pacer spoke about his role in the team and why he is not a replacement for Bumrah, who is missing IPL 2023 due to a back injury.
“I am trying my best to fulfill the responsibilities given to me by the team. I am not Bumrah’s replacement but I’m trying my best to do what I can,” Madhwal said in the post-match press conference.
While the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai has not suited the pacers this season, Akash explained what worked for him at the Chepauk
“The wicket at Chepauk was good. As you saw, the ball was not gripping but skidding. I am a swing/sling bowler, and I pitched my deliveries in hard lengths aiming for wickets,” he said.
Madhwal started playing professional cricket only five years back before which he use to play tennis-ball cricket and is now using the previous learning to perform well as a bowler in IPL.
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“Through the tennis ball, I have only learnt how to bowl yorkers and I use that in my bowling today. There is only one way of evading those deliveries. If the bowling lengths are pitched a bit high or low, it would gift away boundary fours or sixes. Thus, I needed to bowl strong yorkers in tennis cricket and that is what I do today with a proper cricket ball,” he added.
Talking about his meteoric rise, Madhwal said: “I have been with Uttarakhand Cricket Association ever since they got affiliation with the BCCI in 2018. In 2019, I was a net bowler with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Later on, I joined Mumbai Indians and started out as a net bowler again. Fast forward to today, I am getting the opportunity to play in the team.”
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“Whatever opportunities come your way, you should grab it and make the most of it.”
He joined Mumbai Indians in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav however he didn’t get to play a match. His debut only came in 2023.
Madhwal shared how he managed to get retained by Mumbai.
“I was given clarity of my role with the team. I have to continue the process I was following and had the surety that I would get opportunities next season. That was very clear,” he signed off.
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