For Vidharbha’s Rajneesh Gurbani, fifers have become an addiction

He gave the statisticians a tough time last season by clinching five five-wicket hauls in six Ranji Trophy matches to finish as the second highest wicket-taker with 39 scalps. Vidarbha’s right-arm medium pacer Rajneesh Gurbani started the new season just from where he left it, picking 7 wickets for 81 runs for India Red against India Green in the Duleep Trophy in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, on Sunday, August 19.

Gurbani, who picked up two fifers in the semi-final and one in the final of the Ranji Trophy last year to give Vidharbha their maiden title, said claiming five scalps has become a sort of addiction for him and he feels uneasy whenever he doesn’t get it. The philosophy sounds familiar with the tearaway Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson of yesteryears, isn’t it?

Gurbani spoke about his addiction to Times of India a day earlier, after failing to register a five-wicket haul in any of the games that he played for India ‘A’ against the West Indies ‘A’ and South Africa ‘A’ recently. His best figure in these two matches was 3 for 75 and took eight scalps overall.

‘I feel a bit quicker’

The 25-year-old swing bowler is often seen in the mould of Bhuvneshwar Kumar who he idolises and his reputation has only grown in the domestic circuits over time. He was also called up to bowl in the nets ahead of India’s one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Bengaluru in June and Gurbani feels he has added some pace to his bowling.

“Shankar Basu (India fitness trainer) sir spoke to me when I went as a net bowler for India’s Test against Afghanistan. He asked me to follow his workout routine. I have found it effective. I have never bowled with speedometers in place, but I feel a bit quicker. At the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, two to three other trainers have been helping me. I feel a lot fitter than I used to earlier and I can sense a difference in my bowling,” he further said.

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