Shahrukh Khan, whose blitzkrieg shut out Delhi, remembers a conversation with assistant coach R. Prasanna before he went in to bat here on Saturday.
The explosive Shahrukh revealed to Sportstar, “Prasanna told me, ‘You play your natural game. If the ball is in your slot, hit it. Don’t bother about white or red-ball cricket. Your methods have worked big time in white-ball cricket. There is no need to depart from it.’’’
Shahrukh walked in when Tamil Nadu was in deep trouble losing half the side for 162 and proceeded to conjure a blistering thrill-a-minute 148-ball 194. making light of his pressure, for his maiden Ranji hundred.
“More than the hundred, what gave me maximum satisfaction was that we were able to take the lead against Delhi. We are a closely-knit unit. The team always comes first.”
READ:
Asked about his century partnerships with B. Indrajith and N. Jagadeesan, Shahrukh said, “Both told me ‘You play your natural game.’ And what an innings Indrajith played, full of class. Jagadeesan too batted well.”
Was there more pressure on him as Tamil Nadu neared Delhi’s first innings total of 452? Shahrukh replied, “The target was there at the back of my mind but I did not think too much about it. I knew if I continued to play my shots, we would surpass the target.”
Shahrukh struck an astonishing 10 sixes during his buccaneering innings. Where did he generate the power from?
ALSO READ:
The 26-year-old Shahrukh said, “Since the age of 15, I have worked with Azariah Prabhakar on fitness and strength. I guess the power also comes from me being a big lad.”
Bought for INR 9 crore by Punjab Kings at the IPL auction, the game-changing batsman said, “I don’t think about price tags. The important thing is to focus on the game.”
This Shahrukh is a clear and present danger for all teams - white or red ball.
Comments
SHARE