Skills I have are good enough to play for India: Sai Kishore

CHENNAI: Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore was sparingly used in his first five seasons of the IPL, playing just 10 matches between 2020 and 2024. When the opportunity to cement his place in the Gujarat Titans ‘playing XII’ arose at the start of the season, the 28-year-old from Tamil Nadu grabbed it with both hands. Sai Kishore was one of GT’s key contributors in the run to the playoffs, finishing as their second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in 15 games. In an interaction with TOI, the lanky slow bowler spoke about playing an extended run of matches, shouldering more responsibility, how he overcame a rough patch and more. Excerpts:You finally got a sustained run of matches. How was the challenge?I am happy that I was able to deliver performances in the chances that I got.

But at the same time, I want to keep improving. While coming up against international batters, I knew what to do and what not to do. I got a good understanding of how they are approaching my bowling. I played against a lot of players for the first time; the more I play, the better I will get.Do you think that you are knocking on the Indian selectors’ door?I feel that the skills I have are good enough to play international cricket.

I have always had that belief; the belief grows when it is backed up with performances. The biggest delivery that I can develop is patience. I have my aspirations, but I have to stay happy in my journey. I bowled the carrom ball this season and I have a lot more variations up my sleeve. Karun Nair (back in the Test squad) is one of my biggest inspirations; he has batted beautifully and scored plenty of runs.

If I deserve a spot, I will get my chance.

If I do not get picked, I will look to get even better.

How was your preparation for the season?Over the last four-five years, I have been working with R Ramkumar (former Tamil Nadu player) on my bowling. The work we put in before the IPL season came in handy. At GT, I have Aashish Kapoor, another former TN spinner. They both have been instrumental in my bowling coming through. In terms of mindset, I expected the least out of myself this IPL season.

As time would have it, when I expected the least, I had my best season.What was your approach when ace leggie Rashid Khan was not in the best of form?Taking the lead role happened naturally; it is not that I am new to the role. Wherever I have played, I have thought like a captain. Rashid is a very good bowler, but he did not have the season that he would have liked. When I got the role, I felt that it was a perfect match. When you are ready and prepared, everything just falls into place.You had a lean phase when you hardly bowled two overs per match. How did you feel then?With the introduction of the ‘Impact Player’ rule, we had seven bowling options, so I am not required to bowl sometimes. It is not that I cannot bowl. Looking at it from the team’s perspective, I was fine with it but I was ready to do any job. It was clearly communicated to me by Ashish Nehra (GT head coach) on why we had such plans. I did not take anything personally.Did lack of bowling disrupt your rhythm?It is definitely helpful if I perform the same role again and again. But if you want to excel as a T20 bowler, you should be able to bowl in all phases. Having not had many chances in the previous seasons, I prepared myself to take the ball at any stage. When I am playing for TN or in the TNPL, I am comfortable bowling in the death overs. Those experiences came in handy.