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Follow UsWhen Travis Head first played IPL in 2016, he didn’t have a lot of experience in T20 cricket. Albeit treated as a prodigy in Australian circles, Head found himself wanting to establish himself and in two years, he could only notch up 205 runs, hitting only one fifty in total.
Eight years later, he is now a changed man and has a body of work that is enviable, to say the least. He is a World Test Champion, guided Australia to their sixth World Cup title a few months ago, and has already amassed 324 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad at a crazy strike rate of 216.00.
After a whirlwind century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru that propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to a record-breaking total, Head’s 89 was the reason behind Hyderabad dismantling Delhi Capitals by a huge margin on April 20 (Saturday).
"Walking into that dressing room was crazy. I was young and it feels like a long time ago. And I probably didn't understand myself enough around off-field stuff or even game stuff, and I was watching how AB (de Villiers) went about, and Gayle went about,” Head was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"Every guy went differently and every guy had certain things that they excelled at or were great at. AB's understanding of the game was incredible. Virat's (Kohli) preparation was second to none. And the way Chris went out and performed on match day was just outrageous. So each guy had those things that I sort of drew upon and understand a blueprint."
"I just feel like there's a lot more experience and there's a lot more understanding around my game and there's probably a lot more belief around what I can achieve or what I can do. I don't sort of try; there are always doubts, and there are always things you go through in mind, I guess. Seven or eight years have passed, and I have achieved a few things in international cricket you can draw back on.
"So yeah, back then, I didn't have, I guess, the blueprint or the runs behind me, but I feel like I still had some really good performances when I was here last time, and I definitely drew back on them by that experience. But that whole IPL all those two years with RCB was just a bit of a whirlwind. I was sort of 22-23 playing with the players that we've spoken about. Didn't feel like I really fitted in terms of my game at that stage, so yeah learned a lot."
Before returning to the IPL for the 2024 edition, Head had gone unsold a couple of times and that was pretty much down to his insistence on prioritizing Test cricket. Head went to play in the English county circuit and made a name for himself as one of Australia’s premier red-ball batters.
"I put a big emphasis on Test Cricket at that time. I was in the auction last year, but previously I spent a couple of years playing county cricket and then a couple of years obviously around Australia. So yeah, I had a massive eagerness to excel and play well with Test cricket.
"I think I felt like I had to work very hard at my game and do the things that I needed to do to perform in Test cricket. I feel like the T20 stuff, and IPL was great at an earlier age, but it definitely gave me an understanding of what that tournament looks like.
“I tasted it in the past and felt that when the time is right, then hopefully I could come back and experience that again and I feel like now, having gone through all those moments and playing really well in Test Cricket for a period of time and experience all those things, I felt like it was the right time to come back.
"I was in the auction last year, but had a wedding, got married on the 15th of April, which sort of restricted my availability which meant that it was this year and very pleased in where I ended up at Hyderabad and very pleased in the environment and felt like was the right time not only in my career but off field and everything was sort of mirrored into being available again but in the back of my mind always wanted to have another chance at it. There are things I would like to do differently since the last time I've been here. I was a lot younger back then, so very pleased with how everything has worked out so far."
Head has struck a massive camaraderie with Abhishek Sharma as the duo have forged a very lethal combination for the side. The likes of Nitish Kumar Reddy has impressed all and sundry with their range of strokes - something Head can’t get enough of.
"I feel obviously different coming from somewhere like RCB. When I was there, there was obviously a strong international contingent, but also strong Indian players like KL Rahul and Chahal, guys that were probably well known. And coming here, I didn't know a lot about some of the guys but yeah, Abhi (Abhishek Sharma) has been incredible. Opening the batting with him, he's excited me probably the most.
"Nitish has probably struck the ball better than anyone in training. I know he had limited opportunity in the past, but after the practice games and the training days that we've had it was quite amazing to know that he hadn't had much experience in the IPL yet and he probably wasn't gonna start in the IPL, so the conversations around him and the game he played against the Punjab Kings was incredible.
"But I just feel like Abhi's probably been the standout for me. I know he had come through a really good under 19's program and a couple of guys who have excelled and gone on and played and obviously Shubman he's really close with. But the way he learns, the way he adapts, and his confidence and all those things that I guess you see a lot of that now in the Indian teams, which comes off the back of how Virat has gone about things in that environment and what younger guys are seeing when they come through, but he's very very exciting,” Head added.
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