IPL 2020 | Shane Watson’s advice calmed me down on debut, reveals KM Asif
Kerala speedster KM Asif, who made his IPL debut with Chennai Super Kings in 2018, revealed that it was a simple piece of advice from Shane Watson - to treat the cricket ball like a tennis ball - which helped him calm down on debut. Asif also added that playing in the IPL changed his life.
After representing the Kerala state cricket team in both the Vijay Hazare and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018, KM Asif’s career - and subsequently his life - turned around in the IPL 2018 auction when the speedster was purchased for a sum of Rs 40 lakh by the returning Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise. Although Asif only played a couple of games in the entirety of the IPL 2018 season, he won over the fans through his pace and attitude, and so impressed by the Kerala quick were the management that they continued to retain the right-arm quick as a part of the squad, despite him not being a part of the first team.
Two years on, Asif still has just the two appearances under his name, but he has, nevertheless, made memories aplenty to cherish. One such fond memory for the Kerala speedster is his debut against Delhi in 2018 in Pune, and recalling the game, Asif revealed that it was words of wisdom from veterans Shane Watson and MS Dhoni that helped settle his nerves.
"Watson told me, 'I've heard you're a very good tennis-ball bowler. Think this is tennis-ball cricket, just bowl fast, don't worry about being hit.' That calmed me down," Asif told ESPN Cricinfo.
"On match day, Dhoni bhai put his arm on my shoulder and told me to not worry, 'even if you bowl four overs and give 40 runs, no problem. This is your chance.'"
The IPL was a literal life-changer for 27-year-old Asif, who was working as a storekeeper in the UAE prior to his breakthrough season in 2018, in which he played for both Kerala and CSK. Three years on, Asif has now realized his dream and has returned to the Middle East as a professional cricketer, and the speedster expressed his surprise on how quickly he managed to turn his life around. Asif described the IPL as a life-changer and asserted that he now wants to make up for the lost time, having gotten rid of all financial burden.
"The IPL has changed my life. It's only now that I am able to have some confidence, the very fact that I am speaking to you is because of this confidence. It's good to put food on the table, give my parents and siblings a comfortable life.
“I only feel a little surprised at how quickly I've been able to achieve this. I'm very happy to see them happy. Now that side of life is tension-free, so hopefully I can make up for lost time and do well for both CSK and Kerala whenever I get chances."
Asif's last IPL appearance came in 2018 versus Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, and the speedster, who was retained by CSK ahead of IPL 2020, will be hoping to add more caps to his name in the forthcoming edition of the tournament that will be held in UAE.
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