Veteran cricketer rates opportunities over money in the IPL

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League is just a couple of weeks away. The players have started off their preparations. Among the lot, there stands one veteran cricketer who has seen the tournament in all editions of the league. Veteran Mumbai bowler Dhawal Kulkarni is still as excited to play in the tournament as he was in 2008. The bowlers usually do not last the test of time in the sport. But Kulkarni’s case is different. He is getting better with time and is set to rejoin the Rajasthan Royals this season.

The Royals camp boast of new recruits like K Gowtham and Aryaman Birla. It is a squad with good mix of cricketers. At the auctions, Dhawal Kulkarni set his base price to just INR 50 lakh. He was bought by the RR side for INR 75 lakh using the RTM option. This had come to the fore after Kulkarni had bagged a whopping INR 2 crore a couple of seasons ago when the Gujarat Lions had fetched his services. Commenting on the same, Kulkarni noted that it is the opportunity that matters, and not the money.

“There is no reason as such to keep the price low. I thought it is better to stick to ₹ 50 lakh because at the moment, money is not as important as opportunities. I wanted a team where I would get a chance to play, rather than sit on the bench. My focus is to make use of the chances to stage an international comeback,” Dhawal Kulkarni quoted as per the quotes in Sport Star.

‘Never got chances’

Commenting on his India stint, Dhawal Kulkarni admitted that he feels he could have played a lot more. Kulkarni’s last appearance in the Indian colors was against New Zealand in 2016. He has played 12 ODIs for the Indian team and has featured in T20Is as well. Kulkarni cited that he could have played more matches. He often traveled with the side but did not get too many matches. However, he does miss travelling with the team.

“It is not only about chances, it is also about performing in the domestic season. I never got chances but I traveled a lot with the Indian team. I miss travelling with the team, I could have had more chances then, but that’s a part of a cricketer’s life. You have to keep working hard and focus on your game,” he mentioned.

On changing dynamics of the IPL

Being an IPL veteran, Dhawal Kulkarni knows the tournament inside out. He has seen the game evolve over the years. Speaking about the changing dynamics of the game, the Mumbai cricketer noted that the bowlers have added a lot of variety to their game. Also, the batsmen have changed their tactics by coming up with innovative shots.

“There is more variety in the game. Bowlers have started thinking a step ahead of the batsmen; earlier, it was only a batsman’s game but it is more competitive today. The batsmen have so many innovative strokes, they can also hit a fast bowler behind the wicket-keeper. In the first few editions, there was a little less idea about the T20 format,” noted Kulkarni.

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