IPL 2021: Amit Mishra to focus on batting in the tournament

Delhi Capitals leg-spinner Amit Mishra has revealed that he is working hard on his batting for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Mishra has been a veteran of the league having played 150 IPL matches so far in his career. He has been with the Delhi franchise since 2015 IPL but got to feature in only three matches last season. He was ruled out due to an injury.

However, this season, the evergreen leggie is aiming not only to play a few more matches but also contribute with the bat to strengthen his position in the playing XI. During an interview recently, the 38-year-old shared his thoughts regarding his plans as a batsman for the upcoming season. As a matter of fact, Mishra was considered a pretty handy batter in first-class cricket and even has a double century to his name.

“I am working on my batting. The coaches have also told me to keep practising my batting as there might be situations in matches when I will have to string partnerships of 25-30 runs. We need to be ready for everything. Basically, if I am batting with a recognised batsman then I should focus on taking singles and giving the strike to my partner,” Mishra said in an official statement by the franchise.

Mishra has picked up 160 wickets in the cash-rich league, which makes him the second-highest wicket-taker in the competition’s history. He is only behind Lasith Malinga, who has 170 wickets. Mishra has joined the preparation camp of the Capitals franchise and might be seen featuring regularly during the 2021 IPL.

I was just looking to get into the groove and get into a good rhythm: Ajinkya Rahane

Another important player who has joined the camp for Delhi Capitals is Ajinkya Rahane. The right-handed batsman revealed that he took a break after the India and England Test series. He further said that he wants to maintain a good rhythm leading into the tournament.

“I batted for the first time in 20 days. We came out after being in quarantine for seven days, so I was just looking to get into the groove and get into a good rhythm. And as we get closer to the tournament, it will be all about maintaining that good rhythm and momentum,” Rahane said.