Before auction, I thought RCB is the last team which is going to pick me: Mahipal Lomror [Interview]

One of the most notable inclusions in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp, Mahipal Lomror will be a player to watch out for in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB bought the all-rounder for INR 95 lakh in the mega auction and expectations are pretty high from the youngster. The southpaw can accumulate quick runs in the middle overs and his left-arm-spin bowling makes him an even greater asset.

Considering the entire squad of RCB, Lomror, who has done well in domestic cricket lately, is all but likely to find a place in the first-choice playing XI. He’ll join forces with the likes of Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Dinesh Karthik. As he can also contribute in the bowling department, RCB can alter their combination as per the demand. Hence, it’s a great opportunity for Lomror to stamp his authority.

Notably, Lomror, who was a part of India’s U19 World Cup squad in 2016, has been a part of IPL since 2018. He represented Rajasthan Royals in previous seasons and played 11 matches in total. Interestingly, Lomror’s highest score in the gala competition, 47, is recorded against RCB last season. Hence, the franchise would want the 22-year-old to put up many such stellar performances.

In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Lomror opened about many things and made some interesting revelations as well. From speaking about his tenure with Rajathan Royals to his views on the next RCB captain, let’s look at how the star all-rounder responded to our queries.

Here are the excerpts from Mahipal Lomror’s interview:

You have always come with a reputation of an all-rounder who has great finishing abilities. Now that you are in the same team with a certain Glen Maxwell who dons the same attributes, what do you look forward to learning from him?

I am really happy that I am a part of RCB this time around. Obviously, there’s a lot to learn from not just Maxi but also from the likes of Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, who are really experienced players and two of the greats in our country. So, I am looking forward to learn a lot from them. Specially Maxi, he’s a great finisher in World cricket. So, I would like to learn a lot from him.

Did you know RCB would bid for you in the auction?

Before auction, I thought RCB is the last team which is going to pick me. Surprisingly, they bought me. I had never spoken to anyone from the management. I never went to trials for RCB and neither, I had never talked to any management guy (from RCB) over a phone call or in person. So, I was a bit surprised. After the auction, Mike Hesson Sir called me, I got a call from Sanjay Bangar Sir as well.

How much will you miss the RR dressing room having spent time there in last four years?

I am going to miss them a lot. I spent four years there. Rajasthan Royals was my home team. I played two seasons at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur before COVID struck. So, that was pretty special for me. I am going to miss them because when you spend four-five years in a team, the (same) management and the players, you tend to get that high-quality bonding with them. So, I will miss them but this is life. You will meet new people and learn from them. It’s a next step in my journey and I am looking forward to it.

How much impact Kumar Sangakkara played in changing or improving your game?

I think he played a big part in improving my game. Mostly, my mental aspect of the game. Last time around, there were few incidences that shouldn’t have happened. I was a bit frustrated and then he talked to me and that five-ten minutes of conversation changed my perspective about things should be seen and how I should react to them.

Are you still in contact with your India U19 teammates? You will be playing against some of them in this IPL as well?

I am in contact with few of them. Khaleel (Ahmed) plays with me in Rajasthan. I am in contact with Avesh (Khan) as well, Ishan (Kishan) is there. Some of them are playing for India. So, there’s not much time to have a chat. However, whenever we talk, our conversations are like, “I am going to hit you for a six” and other one is like “No, I am going to get you out.”

How does it feel to be sharing the dressing room with the likes of Virat Kohli, Faf and Maxwell?

It’s going to be a big learning season for me. Virat Kohli is a modern-day great. He’s the best cricketer at the moment. If you talk about DK (Dinesh Karthik), I played a lot against him in domestic cricket and I found him a very good finisher. That’s a role I look forward to. Maxi is the modern-day best finisher. So, I am going to learn a lot from these guys.

You had a pretty decent VHT and SMAT tournament. Anything specific you worked on your batting?

Nothing, I just felt I wasn’t playing to the situation of the game. I was trying too hard to express myself as a powerful hitter in the domestic circuit. Then I felt, cricket is a situational game and you need to play as per situations. So, I figured out that and now, I am not going to push myself too much while batting. I’ll just play as per the situation which is best for the team. I think that worked for me.

In Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, I was striking at around 110 in some games and 190 in some. So, it’s all about what the team needs from me in a particular moment. So, that helped me and I think I am getting better at my batting. I am getting better at finishing games and I am looking forward to do the same for RCB as well.

With Kohli stepping down as RCB captain, who do you think will be the RCB captain now? Just your thoughts on it?

I think we have a lot of options. Faf du Plessis has been a seasoned captain for South Africa for a long period of time. There’s Maxwell, who played the last season for RCB and he can be a good captain. Then there’s DK bhai, one of the best captains in the Indian domestic circuit. He also captained KKR for such a long time. So, I think there are many options.