Rajneesh Gurbani: I’ve learnt a lot from Vidarbha’s stars

I have had a good time in Vidarbha, says the wiry medium pacer.

The younger members of the Vidarbha side have always looked up to the seniors such as Umesh Yadav (left) and Wasim Jaffer for advice.

From the time Wasim Jaffer and Umesh Yadav have been regulars with the Vidarbha cricket team, I have had really good times. Even Ganesh Satish, who is originally from Bengaluru, has been helpful. All three of them have different qualities.

Rajneesh Gurbani.

Wasim bhaiyya is one of a kind. He taught me bowling from the batsman’s point of view. I used to bowl a lot of back-to-back inswing and outswing. He told me that if I keep making such quick changes, the batsman will get used to it and it may kill the spell. He helped me get into the mind of the batsman while playing. If I get a wicket off an outswinger, the next delivery to the new batsman could be an inswinger as he is somebody who has been watching the movement from the pavilion. I learnt that it is important to predict the batsman’s moves.

Umesh bhaiyya takes off the pressure when you are bowling in partnership with him. At times, if I had doubts and I get stuck at something, he is always there to help me out.

With Ganesh bhaiyya , I remember one incident very vividly. I had not got a good start while bowling in one of the games in the domestic season. Had he not come to me and made me relax, I would have been stuck mentally and I wouldn’t have reached where I am now. He came and assured me that I was a good bowler. I thought, at least, somebody is coming and pushing me. He does that with every player.

As told to Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya.