KPL 2018 | From tennis ball cricket to white ball cricket - the Naveen MG story

Bharat Chipli-led Bijapur Bulls were struggling at 69/5 when young all-rounder Naveen MG walked to the crease at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. A quickfire 44 off just 25 deliveries ensured that last year’s runners-up reach a competitive total of 128/7. Although the Tigers were able to chase down the target with comfortable ease due to a strong knock by Mohammad Taha, there were some promising signs from the Bulls squad. Such is the ferocity that Naveen brings to the team and to the KPL in general due to his attacking approach to the game. 

"Cricket-wise, I want to play more games in the shorter format of the sport. I am looking forward to playing more T20 games as compared to four-dayers. White ball cricket is totally different and you need to adapt yourself to the game more quickly and you need to be prepared mentally to face good bowlers and if you give your hundred percent during the T20 format, it can take you to the next level. I've been with the Bijapur Bulls for four years and I am looking forward to this season in the KPL," Naveen, in his usual calm and composed demeanor, said while being ready for a team photo-shoot.

"I used to play more of street games like street cricket and gully cricket, my uncle pushed me towards competitive cricket and put me in a summer camp. I met with a very good coach and he supported me in my bowling and batting. I started to focus more on my bowling more than my batting. I started to score the same amount of runs in white ball cricket as I did with the tennis ball. Knowing that I was scoring more runs than people my age made me more confident in my own abilities because that is the style in which I play.

"I worked on my technique even more and that made realize that I was capable of being both - a batsman and a bowler. Right now, it gives me great honor to be representing my state of Karnataka as an all-rounder," Naveen added.

"It's not about diifculties per se, but it's about how much work you are willing to put in to improve your game. If you are confident in your game and if you are able to perform, you will get your chance. I was very clear about my thought process and my game and that made me feel very comfortable during games. I started working on the technical aspect of the game and met with a very good coach who helped me improve my game and take it to the next level. I was focused, calm and worked in the areas where I needed improvement," the 24-year-old added.

When quizzed about any interesting anecdote from his life, Naveen revealed that "I once threw my cricket bat at my mother, she was trying to hide it from me I guess, but yeah, that is the only incident I can tell you about. During my younger days, I used to bunk my exams and go for selections right up until my college days."

"Out of the cricketers I used to look up to Sachin Tendulkar a lot, but after becoming an all-rounder I started following Shane Watson of Australia as he was an attacking player like me," he added.

The Bulls were admittedly second best in their first game against the Tigers, but despite the narrow loss, there were a lot of positives to take from the game. The Karnataka all-rounder thanked franchise owner, Kiran Kattimani, for the chance and believing in his abilities as the Bharat Chipli’s team look to repeat last year’s heroics.

"It was a daunting experience to play under professional coaches and senior players like Abhimanyu Mithun and Deepak Chogule and that made it more clear that I was playing a league match. That's been a journey for me. 

"I was not sure I would make it to the starting XI and when I found out that I was in the team, frankly, I did not sleep the entire night. I would specifically like to thank Abhimanyu Mithun who really helped me improve the bowling aspect of my game, how to bowl, what not to bowl and when to bowl a specific delivery. Now, I feel like a senior member of the Bijapur Bulls squad," Naveen concluded.