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Cricket Players'Being the only West Indian in squad was a tough one to start off': Ex-RCB star recalls 1st IPL season as 'young player'
Many budding players dream to experience the razzmatazz of the lucrative T20 league, which sets a perfect platform for cricketers before their rise in the international arena.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the fate of many cricketers. Many budding players dream to experience the razzmatazz of the lucrative T20 league, which sets a perfect platform for cricketers before their rise in the international arena. As the league gears up for its 15th edition beginning March 26 in Mumbai, plenty of starlets would be hoping to embark journey with their respective franchises on a positive note. (Also Read | 'IPL created the market': CSK's Robin Uthappa sends savage four-word reply to Pakistan journalist over tweet on IPL, PSL)
West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer, who is now a part of Rajasthan Royals, also recalled his first IPL spell with Royal Challengers Bangalore where he found it "tough" to get going in franchise cricket. The 2016 U-19 World Cup-winning captain also shared his thoughts on IPL playing a key role in his growth as a player.
"My first season in the IPL at RCB was a challenging one, for a young player, and being the only West Indian in the squad was a tough one to start off in franchise cricket," said Hetymer in a release shared by his current IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.
"IPL, in general, has been a wonderful learning experience that has taught me to look at myself and my game differently and has enabled me to learn and develop the right processes."
"I think it was 2018, I had a chance to go to a camp with the Royals in Mumbai and that was one of my first interactions with an IPL team. It felt like a great atmosphere back then, met some really thoughtful cricketing people and was again glad to see some of them still with the squad this season as well.
"It was fantastic being around an IPL set-up such as the Royals, and how they would approach and work towards things. I felt it was an insightful experience and something that I’ve carried with myself ever since," he further said.
Rajasthan splurged a whopping ₹8.5 crore to avail the services of Hetymer in the recent mega auction. He wasn't retained by Delhi Capitals but the Guyanese cricketer wishes to contribute to his new team's success without thinking much about the pressure of the price tag. The 25-year-old is known for his finish prowess but is ready to don any role that Rajasthan presents him with.
"There’s no pressure of the price tag on me, it’s a challenge to help the Royals when I’m out there. The price tag does not really matter to me, it’s the runs I score that help contributes to the team’s cause that matter," he said.
"I’m ready for any role the team needs me to perform. It’s imperative to do well as a player in the squad. And at my end, as I’ve always believed, is to just give myself that chance to be out there and the performance will come, no matter what the situation of the game is."
