IPL 2021: RR helped me when I was at my worst, says leg-spinner KC Cariappa
For 27-year-old Cariappa, the season has come as a chance at redemption, after he had been away from cricket for a while.
Ahead of the resumption of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Shreyas Gopal and leg-spinner KC Cariappa discussed the road ahead as they have not had much competitive cricket under their belts in recent months.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Shreyas said: "I think there are two ways of looking at the break in the IPL season. For people who weren't doing all that well including myself, I think it was a chance to put on the thinking cap and see what modifications and improvements could be made. Whereas for people who had been doing well, the first two teams in the table for that instance, it puts a brake on them and they'll now have to restart, so puts everyone on level pegging."
Meanwhile, for 27-year-old Cariappa, the season has come as a chance at redemption, after he had been away from cricket for a while. "It was a very depressing period for me when I was not part of the Karnataka team earlier this year. I did well last year in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but after that, things became bad for me," said the leg-spinner.
"I was just roaming around in Bengaluru and my fitness had taken a toll, but that is when Zubin (Bharucha) sir called me to ask to come for the IPL trials. I was shocked that someone is asking me to come for trials because I was lost almost for one year and weighed around 95kgs then. However, I went for it and bowled well," added Cariappa.
"Zubin sir then called me and said, 'I've been following you since 2015, but what is wrong with you? What is wrong with your fitness? We like your bowling but you have to get your fitness right.' And that was the moment when I found the motivation again, and I worked really hard to get back into shape. So I'm really thankful to him and to the Rajasthan Royals franchise for showing faith in me. I feel that I'm back on my feet because of them and now it's time to repay that faith on the field," expressed Cariappa.
Shreyas, on the other hand, has been consistently featuring both in the IPL and in the domestic circuit, and wants to keep everything simple. "I think it's more about the kind of mental space I've been in -- the way I'm bowling, batting, fielding, and also how I'm feeling. I want to keep my work ethic high, but also realise that it's going to be a long season with bubble life again, so I want to be present in the now, and remain simple with my process."