RAJKOT: If IPL is a stage for the unorthodox to thrive, a chinaman seems to be the latest headed for recognition. Shivil Kaushik bowls left-arm wrist spin with a bizarre action, reminiscent of South African Paul Adams. Yet to play for home state Karnataka, Gujarat Lions’ mystery weapon made his first mark on the big stage on Sunday, when he took three for 20 against Gujarat Lions.
For starters, he’s tough to comprehend. He stops for a fraction of a second before rolling his arm over and his head turns towards what would be extra cover for a right-handed batsman just before delivery. If you think he loses sight of the spot the ball pitches, Shivil says he doesn’t. “The head turns for a split second and it’s normal when the ball lands.” But he adds that he isn’t always sure where his foot is!
“For the first three deliveries, I didn’t know what was happening,” confessed Murali Vijay. One of the victims, the Kings XI skipper added homework didn’t help make his job easier. “We saw his video before this match. He was still hard to pick. It’s difficult to anticipate if it’s going out or coming in. You’ve to keep watching his wrist. But the more you play him, the more familiar it’ll be.”
One from the growing list of Karnataka Premier League discoveries, Shivil says his action wasn’t tinkered with in formative years. “There’s no Paul Adams influence. It came naturally when I started playing at the age of eight. Coaches didn’t ask me to change. They felt it was different and could work to my advantage. Even I never thought of bowling differently. If I were to face someone like me, I guess it’ll be quite difficult.”
After going without a wicket on IPL debut against Rising Pune Supergiants, conceding 32 in three overs, Shivil made up for it in the next match, although his team lost. There wasn’t much turn at the SCA Stadium, and he tried more wrong ones in four overs than what’s expected to be his stock ball, the one that comes back into the right-hander.
Like most unusual spinners, the 20-year-old’s test begins now, because opponents will dissect and analyse his action. Unfamiliarity is his USP, which will not be the case the more he plays. That way, his longevity or chances of graduating to the higher level will depend on how he evolves. “He’s unknown and therefore, unpredictable. Let’s wait and watch,” Sitanshu Kotak, assistant coach of Gujarat Lions, played safe.
Match box
Gujarat vs Delhi
When the two sides faced each other last week, they put up a classic show with Gujarat winning off the last ball. But Delhi will believe, they can upstage the table-toppers at Rajkot as they have been on a roll. Though their top-order is a cause of concern, the middle-order is doing great guns and their bowlers, led by Zaheer Khan will have their work cut out against an inform batting line-up that boasts of Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith and Suresh Raina.
Pitch & Conditions
The pitch has a bit of grass, but that might be a bluff to cover up the dry surface.