IPL 2023: Backed by team management, Vijaykumar Vyshak picks three wickets on debut

Bengaluru: Vijaykumar Vyshak made an impressive start to life in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a three wicket haul for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Delhi Capitals on Saturday. The RCB seamer was initially apprehensive about bowling a knuckleball, but got the confidence to go for it after a confidence boosting conversation with skipper Faf du Plessis.

IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap​

Vyshak, 26, smartly mixed his lengths, varied his pace and bowled a perfect knuckle ball with an upright seam to take the DC batters by surprise.

“I wasn’t ready to bowl the knuckle ball but Faf came and told me again, ‘You can probably go for a slower one’ so I thought I’ll do that and I got a wicket,” Vyshak said during the presentation ceremony.

“It’s very important because the management has told me to go express yourself so I think I did that and I’m very pleased with the performance.

“Faf came and told me that the wicket was holding a bit so I backed my strength and bowled my slower ones a little more and I think that helped for me.”

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Vyshak took his first IPL wicket in the form of David Warner with a slower one. His second came in the form of Axar Patel via a knuckleball.

“I’ve been working on it for two years so I think it’s finally paid off.”

Initially a net bowler, Vyshak went unsold at the IPL auction. RCB later drafted him in place of injured Rajat Patidar.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time. I’ve been working hard so I think it’s been paying off.”

‘Wicket slowed down, 175-target was enough’: Kohli

Former RCB captain Virat Kohli, who was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 34-ball 50 and three catches, rued that he was not able to score big. This was his third fifty of the season and 47th overall.

“I was quite disappointed that I got out to a full toss. I’d been playing really well and after I got to 50, I was targeting 30-35 runs in the next 10 balls,” Kohli said.

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After a positive start, RCB were looking at a 200-plus total but lost their way in the middle as DC took a team hat-trick.

Kohli, however, said RCB’s total was enough as the wicket had slowed down.

“It felt like 175 was enough on this pitch. It felt like it slowed down,” he said.

‘Should have been an easy chase’: Warner

On the other hand, Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner blamed their batters for not being able to get to a chaseable 175 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“We lost too many early wickets. We didn’t build partnerships chasing that total. It should have been an easy task but unfortunately we didn’t come up trumps,” Warner said on DC going four down inside the powerplay overs.

“We lost three wickets in the powerplay and runouts are non-negotiable in this format and that sometimes can cost you the game,” he said, referring to Prithvi Shaw’s run-out in the first over.”

With five losses in a row, DC have little chance of making the playoffs. Warner, though, remains optimistic.

“Things aren’t working at the moment but teams have come back from 0-5 so hopefully we can be that second team,” the Australian said.

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