"VAN" (Sports Desk - 10.04.2025) :: Reflecting on his previous innings, (40* off 19 against Mumbai Indians)
"I think after that innings, I am very confident by the way, but my confidence does not rely on the score. It always depends on my process and how I train in my practice, because if I have confidence in the end result, the variables might keep going up and down, so I mostly keep my confidence high in the practice only."
On RCB’s performance this season
"I think we are playing very smart cricket; it is not like we are just going out and whacking every bowler. We are playing smart cricket. We know everyone's strengths, and our batting lineup knows each other very well. The team management has given us clear roles—like Jitesh Sharma will target certain bowlers, and the team will look after other bowlers. That's the kind of strategy we have. So we are going very smartly. We are not trying to dominate blindly; we are making every decision thoughtfully."
On working closely with Dinesh Karthik and his mentorship
"It's been a great journey till now, because in the off-season, I really worked hard with him. And I think the shots I’m playing right now are a replica of the ones he used to play. He is trying to create a new version of me, because he believes I can play all around the circle—360 degrees. I’m really enjoying seeing myself in a new role. While playing those shots, I feel very happy because I’ve never tried those before. Now I’m executing them, and the backing he gives me is amazing, so it’s been a wonderful journey. I’m very excited so far.
I think last year’s performance was a mental thing. I’ve told everyone about that, because I was not mentally in the game at that moment. I was thinking too much about the future. But now, when I met Dinesh bhai, he told me that it’s a human error, it’s not rocket science. It can happen to anyone. So it’s fine.
When he saw my batting—the way I bat, how I try to dominate, how I look forward to all the games—he realised I’m someone who always looks to win. I don't have a craze to get runs, I have a craze to win the match. I like that a lot. So he found out that there were some shots I was lacking. He pointed them out, and we’ve been working on that. We're still in the process."
On the bowling brilliance of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazelwood
“I think they are very experienced; there’s no need to tell them much. It’s about understanding the requirements during the game and knowing how to bowl according to the situation. That’s what we are doing. That’s what they are doing. They are not new players who don’t know how to develop their skills—they have everything. The management and administration have to plan properly and apply the skills. That’s what we’re doing. Both are enjoying their bowling really well. One is a swinger, the other is a hard-length hitter, but both are enjoying their cricket. I can tell you.”
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