BENGALURU: After a short stint as net bowler in South Africa, Basil Thampi is back in India. There is confidence in his voice. The Kerala speedster has come back with a positive mindset after bowling to the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and the 24-year-old is looking forward to IPL 2018, where he wants to represent Chennai Super Kings.
After an impressive domestic season followed by IPL 2017, Thampi is rated highly in cricket circles. He represented Gujarat Lions in IPL last year, and with the franchise no longer part of the event, Thampi is one of the 578 players who will go under the hammer at the auction on January 27 and 28. The uncapped player has a base price of `30 lakh and a number of teams might fight for him. But his dream is to play under MS Dhoni.
“I want to play for CSK under MS Dhoni. That is my dream. I would love to see bhaiya keep wickets when I am bowling. Besides him, Suresh Raina is also there in the team. He knows me well as I played for Gujarat last season,” Thampi told Express.
Thampi gave a good account of himself during his debut IPL season, scalping 11 wickets. He was applauded by experts for his yorkers at the death. Now, other teams will be aware of his strength and will find ways to score against him. So he is looking to add variations in his armoury.
“With Lions, I did well. I bowled at the death. Now, the batsmen know my bowling style. I have to add variations. My stint with Lions helped me become a confident bowler. I can bowl to any player now.”
IPL 2018 is going to be of utmost importance for Thampi, with India set to play abroad in seam-friendly conditions. The presence of Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav means Thampi faces stiff competition for a spot in the playing XI.
The speedster, who has earned the applause of Ravi Shastri, is not too perturbed with selection. He wants to concentrate on his skills. “I am not competing with them. I am just competing with myself. I want to remain fit, which is very important for a fast bowler. I am still striving to improve my bowling. I have learned after seeing them prepare in South Africa. I saw them work very hard, which has motivated me to do well,” he added.
Change in IPL match timings
IPL 11 will be held from April 7 to May 27. The inaugural match and final will be held in Mumbai, and so will the opening ceremony (April 6). The 8pm games will begin at 7pm while 4pm games will start at 5.30pm. There will be overlap and matches will be telecast simultaneously.
ashimsunam@newindianexpress.com