IPL GT vs MI | Sai Kishore shines under Rashid’s shadow, ready to rock this season

Left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore shines for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023, poised for more matches after impressive performance.

In 2023, R. Sai Kishore did not play a single IPL match for Gujarat Titans. Going by his performance in Sunday’s six-run win over Mumbai Indians, he is set to play more than a handful this season.

The left-arm spinner bowled four uninterrupted overs for a miserly 24 runs, and picked up the prized wicket of Rohit Sharma that triggered MI’s collapse. That the effort came despite the presence of dew made it all the more praiseworthy.

“I was expecting dew to play a major role,” Sai Kishore said after the win. “The ball was wet but for some strange reason it was still holding on to the wicket. I was surprised by the amount of purchase I was getting. So I just tried to mix my pace and go slow through the air.”

The chance to bowl his full quota of overs at one go helped, Sai Kishore said.

“When you bowl four on the trot, it is easier and you can be in rhythm for a lot longer. When you look at Syed Mushtaq Ali [Trophy] or TNPL, it goes 1-1-1-1 for me. That is how I use my overs.”

“With the Impact Player rule, we are playing with six bowlers, and with the amount of quality we have, I am getting to bowl those four [overs on the trot] which I am enjoying.”

Curiously, it may well be Hardik Pandya’s exit from GT that paves the way for a more consistent run for Sai Kishore in the team. There is little doubt that the Tamil Nadu skipper would have even otherwise staked claim, having finished with 53 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.