'I had never played in front of such huge crowd' - Kuldeep Sen opens up on his IPL debut

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a fantastic platform for young talents to prosper and improve their skills to become better players. One such example is fast bowler Kuldeep Sen, who hogged the limelight in Match 20 of this edition by defending 15 runs off the last over while playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). His match-winning performance sealed the third victory for RR.

In an interview posted on RR’s official website, Sen recalled his reaction after being informed about his debut appearance in the tournament. He also reckoned that he wanted the team to bowl first, so that he could get the chance early and release his pressure in front of a huge crowd. He further revealed that, as soon as he delivered the first ball, he felt confident in his abilities.

“I was nervous from the moment I found out that I was going to make my debut. I spent most of my time in my room, listening to music and just being by myself. On the day of the match, I was excited and nervous at the same time, right from getting on the team bus till we reached the stadium,” said Kuldeep.

“I was hoping we would get to bowl first (laughs) so I could start bowling immediately. I had never played in front of such a huge crowd. Yuzi Bhai (Yuzvendra Chahal) came to me and asked me what my plan was. I told him I’ll only know after I bowl the first ball. And once I did, all the nervousness went away and I started feeling confident,” Kuldeep added.

The presence of experienced professionals in RR helps a lot: Kuldeep Sen

On being asked about learning new skills from the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL, Lasith Malinga, Kuldeep reckoned that he is working to improve the yorkers and the slower ones under his guidance. He further said that the presence of players like Trent Boult and Malinga in the squad is helping him to learn to bowl in different situations of the match.

“He (Malinga) is someone who keeps it simple and tells me to use my strength instead of dwelling on my weakness. I’m working on improving my yorkers and slower ones. When we’re practising, I keep asking Boulty (Trent Boult) and Malinga sir how they would bowl in certain situations. Then I imagine myself in the same situation and think about what I can do. Having such experienced professionals in the coaching setup helps a lot. Every day is full of learning for me,” Kuldeep added.