My aim was to get a notch higher every time I play: Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan entered this season with some classy performances to his name in domestic cricket. The Baroda all-rounder overcame form and injuries issues to make an impressive comeback to competitive cricket and earn a handsome contract with the IPL debutants Rising Pune Supergiants.

However, despite such performances, he didn’t get any immediate chance to play in the first XI. After initially warming the bench, he was given an opportunity to take the field in Supergiants 3rd game. Irfan was used for only one over before being taken off the attack and that was all for him in the match. He was yet again rested for a majority of matches before he got his next chance against KKR in the rain-hit match where he didn’t get any chance to bowl at all.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan caught up with Irfan Pathan before RPS’s fixture against Delhi Daredevils today. He spoke about his expectations from himself before coming into this season; the things on which he worked upon to improve his game and the team atmosphere in the RPS dressing room.

Pathan snapped a superb 5-wicket haul against Gujarat in his comeback game during the Ranji Trophy. Later, he went on to take 17 wickets at 15.76 to finish as the highest wicket-taker in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The all-rounder stated that his mindset was to have a good IPL season after having such good time in the domestic arena.

“When you perform really well in domestic cricket and come to IPL you obviously want to do well. Whatever I did in domestic cricket, in Mushtaq Ali and before that in Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, my aim was to keep building up.”

“My season started really well with a fifer against Gujarat and scored some runs as well but those things are now past. What you actually want to keep doing is whatever tournament you play, you want to keep getting better and better. My aim was to get a notch higher every time I play. So, when you have such mindset you would always perform well.”

Also read – Limited opportunities to Irfan Pathan raises eyebrows

“Personally, I kept working hard in the nets. I worked on my slow delivery, my seam-up delivery and kept practicing it. When you keep practising one thing at a time it eventually becomes your second nature. It helps to perform well in the tough situations out there.”

IPL debutants RPS have had a very terrible time in the IPL. With just three out of twelve games, they have been knocked out of the race for the playoffs.

“The good thing about Fleming and Mahi is that even if we are not doing well they keep the team together, which is wonderful to see. Winning and losing are part and parcel of the game. It’s important to keep the team environment good even if you are losing. Hopefully, we will have a better season next year. The story would have been different if we had won the four-five game close game which didn’t go in our way.”