Mumbai, May 11 (IANS): Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has been a paradise for batters in IPL 2023, with five-time champions Mumbai Indians' mighty batting line up successfully chasing 200+ totals in their previous two matches at the venue, thus keeping themselves alive in the race for playoffs.
Ahead of their match against table toppers and defending champions Gujarat Titans on Friday, left arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya spoke about how bowlers need to be on their mark from the beginning at a batting-friendly venue like Wankhede.
"We have seen some high run chases at the Wankhede. There is a little bit of help for the bowlers initially but after that it is very good for batters. T20 is a batters game. Nowadays batters hit 360 degrees, so as a bowler, it is important to focus on the basics. We just try to control the run rate,' he said in the pre-match press conference.
In a dynamic format like T20s, bowlers need to think on their feet when faced with challenging conditions and adjusting as quickly as possible is key according to Kartikeya, especially against a team like Gujarat, whose batters are in rich vein of form.
"Titans are a very good team. You can plan as much as you want, but I feel execution is more important in T20s, how you respond on the ground to various situations," he added.
Kartikeya is capable of bowling both left arm orthodox and wrist spin since entering IPL fold in 2022. However, as a spinner he prides himself on his control and doesn't focus too much on bowling magic balls.
"I always try to keep things simple. I don't try to bowl magic balls. My focus is on always hitting the right lengths," he said.
Kartikeya, who plays domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh and is just in his second IPL season, has benefited from picking the mind of World Cup winner and former Australia wrist-spinner Brad Hogg ahead of the season.
"Brad Hogg was with us before the season. I speak a lot to him about my bowling. I have a very good relationship with our bowling coach Shane Bond too. He has helped me a lot, especially working on how to adapt to different situations and concentrating on my skills even when the batter is looking to attack," he concluded.