'I am working hard to be ready for all three formats' - Shivam Mavi hopes to become all-format player after Duleep Trophy heroics

Shivam Mavi has been in sensational form in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. Having been made the captain of the side ahead of senior players like Saurabh Kumar and Avesh Khan, the right-arm pacer stepped up and led from the front.

In the quarterfinals against East Zone, Mavi picked up two wickets in the first innings and a solitary wicket in the second innings. However, his accuracy stood out as batters found it hard to get going against him. Mavi managed to build on the good start in the quarterfinals and take his performance up by several notches in the semis against West Zone. In the first innings, the 24-year-old finished with outstanding figures of 6/43 in 19.5 overs. He dismissed three big names in the form of Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav, and Sarfaraz Khan.

After his heroics with the ball, Mavi said that he has been performing well in red-ball cricket in the last few years and also mentioned how hard he has been working to become an all-format player.

“I have been performing well with the red ball in the last three or four years. Hopefully, I will get to play in Test matches. It is not like I want to play only in one format and I am working hard to be ready for all three formats,” Mavi was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

The Under-19 World Cup winner also expressed his delight after being entrusted with the role of captain of Central Zone.

“I feel very happy about it. The selectors have given me such a big responsibility. It is (captaincy) difficult for fast bowlers in India because fast bowlers get tired here because of the conditions. But here (Bangalore) the conditions are fine and we don’t get tired that much. I have played in England and the weather is quite similar here. We get time to think as a captain,” Mavi continued.

I kept myself motivated thinking that I will get a chance sooner: Mavi

Surprisingly, Shivam Mavi couldn't get a game during Indian Premier League 2023 for Gujarat Titans. He played in the T20I series against New Zealand prior to the IPL under the leadership of Hardik Pandya. However, the all-rounder, who is also the captain of GT, couldn't find a place for the talented youngster throughout the 10-team tournament. Mavi, however, said that he was in a good space and used the time to hone his skills at the nets.

“Getting selected for a match depends on the coach and captain. But I was using that time to do net sessions. I was bowling long spells at nets. I was in a good space. I was bowling 7 to 8 overs at nets. I kept myself motivated thinking that I will get a chance sooner and I was focusing on improving my skills,” Mavi concluded.