Mumbai: Young Kerala pacer Basil Thampi is keen to perform well and swing matches Sunrisers Hyderabad’s way in the IPL season 12 commencing 23 March. Thampi is part of the impressive Sunrisers’ bowling stock that also includes experienced swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul and left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed.
“This coming season I want to do well. The most important thing is if I get a chance, I want to do well for the team. I want to win matches for the team. From the last experience, I learnt a lot from this team,” Thampi told PTI in an interaction.
The 25-year-old pacer, who rose to fame during his stint with Gujarat Lions, feels he will stick to his stock delivery, which is the yorker. “No, I want to stick to my thing. Because I have good yorkers, I guess, and want to stick to it and, with that, some variations,” the right arm medium pacer said.
According to Thampi, the most important thing which he learnt from the senior pacers was how to prepare his body. “The main thing I learnt was how to prepare the body, that is very important, how to set up your body, that is (also) a very important thing,” he noted.
He feels having confidence to bowl is the key during the IPL. “It is very challenging to bowl in the IPL because it is a batsman’s game and we all know that. And we should have confidence to bowl, that is the key. So in the last three years I got the confidence to bowl at everyone. Whenever I get the ball, I want to deliver my best,” he added.
Thampi also shares a good rapport with his co-pacers. “We know each other. Khaleel, Sandeep and Siddharth Kaul – we played together in India A matches. We are (always) sharing our thoughts on and off the field,” he signed off.
Sunrisers will begin their IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on 24 March at the Eden Gardens.