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Tabraiz Shamsi looks to gain 'inside information' in IPL 2021 ahead of T20 World Cup
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Follow UsThe second half of the IPL 2021 and the T20 World Cup are scheduled to be played in the UAE between September 19 and November 14
No. 1 T20 International (T20I) bowler Tabraiz Shamsi says he is looking forward to being a part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad for the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. With the T20 World Cup also scheduled to be held in the UAE, Shamsi adds that he would love to get some 'inside information' ahead of the T20 World Cup.
"I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm not excited about (the IPL). I am very excited. Especially because I've never played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Shamsi said according to ESPNCricinfo.
"The IPL is a different thing. I have played in the past but I was a lot younger and I didn't get a lot of game time regularly. When you get regular game time, you can showcase what you can do. You can improve."
Shamsi had previously represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2016, where he had picked up three wickets from four matches. "...I'm really happy I got picked up in the IPL because I've never been there and played there," said Shamsi, who has since picked up 45 wickets in 39 T20Is, along with 32 wickets in 27 ODIs for South Africa.
"It will be nice if I can play on those pitches and get some inside information and gain some experience; just to be able to pick up some knowledge and information that might help us in the World Cup."
The 31-year-old left-arm spinner feels South Africa will do well at the T20 World Cup, considering their strong bowling attack. "...I believe we have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. All we need is a bit of game time. I'm not saying that because we've won a couple of series back-to-back. The talent in the squad is there," he said.
"We might be inexperienced at the international level but it doesn't mean that we don't have the skill. We showcased that against a very strong West Indies team, and against Ireland.
"Nobody here wants to lose and I know the people back home don't want to see us losing. So we're pushing it. We just need a bit more time together. The more we play together the better we're going to get."
(With inputs from PTI)