IPL 2020 | Bowling in Delhi will be a challenge but I am ready to overcome it, says Tushar Deshpande

A proper fast bowler, not the medium-fast bowler who relies on the variations to be successful, capable of landing 150kph on a regular basis, Tushar Deshpande had to face the preconceived notion of “not having enough control in his stride”.  But watch him bowl in a match, or even in a net session, it is difficult to notice any lack of effort from him. It is this very effort which is the cornerstone to his rise in Indian cricket which has seen him being picked up by Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League auction on Thursday.

While Delhi have a reputation of their own when it comes to their batting, having the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer in the team, their pace bowling was way too dominated by spin, especially after they let go of Trent Boult. However, the team accumulated Deshpande to bolster the strength to compound Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada and Avesh Khan. Deshpande is excited to join the likes of Rabada and Sharma to pick up their brains.

With the IPL almost four months away, there is enough time for Despande to wait and see how his role is going to be in the team. Whilst the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi has always been on the slower side, tweakers have found more success. But as Rabada showcased last year, it was possible for a pacer to be on the top of the game at the venue too. Although Deshpande doesn’t want to read too much into it, he is sure that he can overcome the small ground problem for a bowler in Delhi.

“The thing is we are 4-5 months away from the IPL so judging the wicket from now on is not a good idea, but seeing the history of Kotla it has always been for spinners and batsmen. So it will be a challenge since it is a small ground but whatever the pitch condition is, I will bowl according to the team plan,” Deshpande said. 

At DC, the Bombay boy will team up with Ricky Ponting and his childhood friend and Mumbai teammate Shreyas Iyer, which he thinks will be a fruitful association. Deshpande wants to channel his aggression with Ponting, one of the most aggressive players and skippers of his time.

“Very excited to work with Ricky Ponting because I have always watched him on TV and his aggressive attitude is something I am looking to learn from. Even batsmen faced an aggressive fast bowler who starred them in the eye. But Ricky Ponting used to stare back in the fast bowler’s eye so that is the attitude I am looking for. Also the kind of experience that he has, I think he has been the captain of the number one Test side for about 7-8 years,” Deshpande concluded.