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Cricket Players'In Australia, I didn't go to Jasprit Bumrah as I was very nervous': Rajasthan Royals pacer Kartik Tyagi
IPL 2021: Kartik Tyagi said when he was in Australia, he didn't approach Jasprti Bumrah as he was nervous but the Indian pace spearhead made matters easy for him.
It is safe to state that fast bowler Kartik Tyagi is currently the toast of the Rajasthan Royals dressing room. After all it was Tyagi who defended five off the last over to earn an improbable victory for the Royals against the Punjab Kings in their IPL 2021 encounter. The way Tyagi held his nerves and executed those wide yorkers against experienced international batsmen Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran in the last over, had many draw comparisons with Jasprit Bumrah.
The comparisons found steam when Bumrah himself tweeted to laud Tyagi's brilliant last over. The Royals pacer had spent a lot of time with Bumrah when the former was in Australia as a net bowler with the Indian side.
Tyagi said when he was in Australia, he didn't approach Bumrah as he was nervous but the Indian pace spearhead made matters easy for him.
"When I went to Australia, I didn't go to Jasprit bhaiya because I was nervous but he came to me and discussed many things with me and it was a big moment," Tyagi said in a virtual interaction on Friday.
"When I went to Australia, I learnt a lot. Lot of players were injured and a youngster can also win the tournament and I also want to win matches for India," Tyagi added.
When India's 2020 U19 World Cup hero was asked about Bumrah's tweet the right-arm seamer, who can clock to 145 kmph, said he was delighted.
"Personally when I saw that he had tweeted about me, I felt very happy because he is among the world's best bowlers and he is my hero and he has tweeted about me.
"In the last over against Punjab, the pacer said he looked to bowl six yorkers. He ended up taking two wickets while conceding just one run to seal a two-run win for RR.
"When Mustafizur Rahman was bowling, it didn't seem that the match will go till the last over because a left-hander was batting and left-arm fast bowler was bowling and it was a shorter end," Tyagi said during a virtual press conference on Friday.
"But as he gave just four runs the match reached last over, there was little pressure and excitement too, but I didn't think I will be able to defend the score.
"When I had bowled three balls, I started having the belief that probably it is possible and then when in the last ball it happened, I felt very happy."Tyagi said he didn't feel any pressure when he was asked to bowl the final over.
"When I was in the run-up, Sanju bhaiya (Sanju Samson), Chris Morris, they asked me what was my plans and also discussed their plans. They supported a lot," he said.
"I didn't feel any pressure because four was needed in six balls. I would have been in more pressure if I needed to defend 10 runs in six balls because people will naturally think that we have lost the match because it is possible to score 4 runs in six balls.
"I too felt that it will be chased in 3-4 balls because even if they take four singles it will be over but once I bowled three balls, everybody started believing that the match can turn now and I was clear that I need to bowl six yorkers in six balls."
Asked about his ambition as a player, Tyagi said: "I know that I can swing the ball both ways and I can also bowl fast. I have a dream to be the best so I think I should always help the team in every situation and do well in future.
"If I am asked to bowl with the new ball, I can swing it and also bowl fast in the middle overs because I consider them my strengths and as I grow in age, I will also gather more experience, so I would look to help RR.
"Rajasthan will take on table-toppers Delhi Capitals on Saturday and Tyagi said he is just focussing on the process.
"Not only Delhi capitals, all the teams are good. So I am not planning against any particular team, I am just following the process. Like even in last over, I had to bowl just six balls, so I just want to follow the process," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
