IPL 2018 | It was easier to bowl during our times: Muttiah Muralitharan

Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker in international cricket with 800 Test, 534 ODI and 13 T20I wickets in a dominant career for Sri Lanka. However, with the advent of T20 cricket, batsmen have invented new shots and have found different ways of scoring runs at a faster rate. Based on the current trend, the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling mentor has claimed that it was easier to bowl during his time when there was not a lot of big hitting. 

“It was easier to bowl during our times. Now the game has evolved and it is not easy to bowl. We did not play too much T20s and in Tests, they didn't hit as many sixes like they do today,” Muralitharan was quoted by CricketNext. 

Muralitharan, at the age of 24, played his first World Cup in 1996 when Sri Lanka lifted the trophy beating Australia in the final. With a career as successful as the Sri Lankan has enjoyed, he still pinpointed the World Cup win as the one that he would cherish forever.

“I would cherish my 1996 World Cup win as that was most important thing for Sri Lankan cricket. For Sunrisers, it was when we won the IPL trophy in 2016,” the 45-year-old said in a promotional event organised by Rupa.

Shikhar Dhawan has been a part of the Indian National side for quite a while now and in recent times has been, along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the spine of the Indian national team. In recent times most players after hanging up the proverbial shoes have been known to make the leap to broadcasting where they can stay in touch with the sport they love. However, when the Indian opener was asked what his post-retirement plans were, he replied, “I always loved playing cricket, I'm living my dream. Post-cricket, I would join my dad's business. Punjabis love their business, it's in our blood."