CHANDIGARH: Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Siddharth Kaul, who has taken an impressive 15 wickets in eight matches of the ongoing IPL, today said variation has been the key to his success in the shortest format.
"If you have variation, then it is hard for the batsman to read you. The batsman keeps guessing what this guy is going to bowl," he said.
Kaul also said he picked up the knuckle ball "after watching Zaheer (Khan) in the 2011 World Cup."
"From that time onwards, I tried to perfect it and now it is helping me a lot," the 26-year-old Kaul told PTI over phone today.
Defending champions Sunrisers are playing their last league game against a struggling Gujarat Lions in Kanpur tomorrow hoping to clinch the last available spot in the IPL play-offs.
Their bowling has delivered with Bhuvneshwar Kumar claiming 23 wickets so far, while Kaul and Rashid Khan have claimed 15 and 14 wickets respectively.
In their last match against Mumbai Indians, which Sunrisers won by seven wickets, Kaul returned with impressive figures 4-0-24-3.
Prior to that match, against Rising Pune Supergiant, which SRH lost owing to a batting collpase, Kaul impressed with figures of 4-0-24-4, including the wicket of M S Dhoni.
"I have been delivering for my domestic side Punjab in ODI and T20 in death overs. That has helped me in this format.
With the help of Yuvi (Yuvraj) and Ashish Nehra, it came out really well".
Kaul also recalled how it was a learning experience for him to bowl to Dhoni.
"It was really good, he is a great finisher of the game in shorter format, in any format, you can say that. It was a golden chance for me to bowl in front of the best batsman of T20 and ODIs."
Kaul recalled how at the end of that match, Dhoni walked up to him and lauded him.
"It was a good interaction with him. I know him for a long time. In that match, he told me that I have improved further adding to my pace and having consistency in bowling yorkers. He also told me that my knuckle balls are really good. Those words of encouragement have helped me a lot," he said.
With 15 points from seven wins and five losses in 13 games, Sunrisers are currently placed at the fourth spot. If they lose against Gujarat tomorrow then their play-off hopes will depend on the match between Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab in Pune on Sunday.
They would need Supergiant to beat Punjab to make it to the play-offs.
"There is no pressure, taking pressure won't help us," he asserted.