Ravi Bishnoi, one of India’s U19 World Cup stars, has been in the limelight ever since he returned from the event with one of the best economy rates seen in the latest times, at 3.48. After taking 17 wickets in 6 matches, Bishnoi hopes to learn advanced techniques of bowling from his idol Anil Kumble.
In an interview to the Times of India, Bishnoi said, “It’s every cricketer’s dreams to represent the country at the World Cup. I am happy that I am in that league now. The journey was wonderful and there were a lot to learn from the tournament. You get to meet players from all around the world and share your experiences. I enjoyed a lot. I have always wanted to be a match-winner for my team.”
Bishnoi bagged the Player of the Match award twice during the tournament, in matches against Japan and New Zealand. He had three four-wicket hauls against Japan (4/5), New Zealand (4/30) and in the final match against Bangladesh (4/30).
Talking about the final match against Bangladesh, Bishnoi said, “When I claimed some quick Bangladeshi wickets (in the final), we were confident that we are back in the game. But don’t want to think about it much now. Not just me, everyone was dejected in the dressing room. We had lost the trophy. But this is not the end for us. We all have to go a long way.”
“We played really well throughout the tournament. We were a dominant side. Our side has a talented bunch of players. We defeated big teams like Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand. Maybe it wasn’t our day in the final. In the final too, we fought bravely. We didn’t give up. We fought till the end and were screaming after taking every single Bangladesh wicket. We didn’t have much runs on the board. I am sure 30 or 40 more runs would have made a difference.”
Bishnoi takes inspiration from spin legends Anil Kumble and Shane Warne, watching their videos and tries to emulate their bowling styles.
“I have always admired Shane Warne and Anil Kumble sir. I have watched Kumble sir’s bowling videos. He is a god gifted bowler and an amazing spinner. If you watch his bowling, you will notice that he has always bowled his deliveries at the stumps. The best part of his bowling was his speed with the spin.”
Bishnoi will finally get the chance to meet his idol. Kings XI Punjab, who appointed Kumble as their Director of cricket operations and Head coach, bought Bishnoi for Rs 2 Crore.
“I am really excited to meet him (Kumble). I have a list of questions for him. I look forward to learning as much as possible from him. Those learnings and tips from him will help a lot in my career.”
“The one thing I will request him to teach me is the art of bowling the flipper. This is on top of my list. I want to take it a step at a time. After the World Cup, the target is to perform well for KXIP in IPL. There have been cricketers who got a chance in the Indian team after performing magnificently in the IPL. My ultimate dream is to play for India (senior team),” he said.
