Until last year, Prasidh Krishna was predominantly a net bowler for Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.
A chance net session with Kolkata Knight Rider and an unfortunate injury to Kamlesh Nagarkoti saw the Karnataka medium pacer fast-tracked into the main team in 2018.
He had to wait for four weeks and for another injury — Shivam Mavi — to make his IPL debut.
He went on to pick 10 wickets in seven matches to finish as the team’s second-highest wicket taker last year and has been a regular this season, too.
He was also preferred by skipper Dinesh Karthik to bowl the Super Over against Delhi Capitals in Kolkata's previous clash.
READ: IPL 2019: Four losses but all is not lost for RCB
“Dinesh Karthik has always trusted me, be it with the new ball or in the death overs. It was the same last year. It feels nice as a bowler and as a youngster in the team when you know you have your captain, your team, your coaching staff trusting you. What else can you ask for?,” he said.
He conceded only 10 runs that night, but Kagiso Rabada bowled a meaner spell to take Delhi Capitals to victory.
“I enjoyed taking the responsibility. I was given a task and I think I did that well. We ended up on the losing side, but we still had a lot of positives to take,” he said.
He believes bowling to run marauder Andre Russell has helped him.
“When we are bowling to him, we know we are bowling to the best batsman in the world when it comes to T20, at least for his hitting abilities. You still have a lot to learn as you know any wrong ball will go for a six. That help us a lot,”
On Friday, Prasidh will be playing in his home ground for the first time, against the home team.
There is no pressure, only excitement, he insisted. “With the Bangalore crowd, anybody will feel like a family here. My parents are coming to watch the match. It is a great feeling to have my parents in the stands.
“I wasn’t in the playing XI last year, but I came here and got a feel of what it is to play in Bangalore.
To be part of the team and being inside the ground did help me. I have played a lot of games here without the crowd, but now I have an idea what it is like when there is crowd. So it will be a little bit easier to adjust.
I don’t see it as a pressure. I see it as a comfort zone because this is the ground where I practice day in and day out,” he said.
He is also looking forward to bowling against the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
“I will be up against the two best batsmen in the world. So, it is going to be a good challenge and I am going to enjoy that. If I do well, nothing like that for my confidence, so looking forward to it.”
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