This year is a little difficult but my character will develop: Chetan Sakariya

Making his IPL debut in 2021 for Rajasthan Royals, Chetan Sakariya made solid inroads and even made it to the Indian squad on the back of his performances in the Indian Premier League. However, since then, it has been tough for him to continue the same kind of performance, with Delhi Capitals giving him only a couple of games this season. That has certainly impacted the Saurashtra paceman but he is determined to take this as an opportunity to grow as a pacer.

“Personally, I have got to learn a lot. The first year went well for me but I have observed that with every cricketer. But for a cricketer, a lot depends on how his second year goes. This year is a little difficult but I feel that from this year, my character will develop and my cricketing skills will emerge better. The way I will handle pressure situations and if I take out one or two matches for the team, it will be good for my personal development and will be able to put up better performances in future,” Sakariya told IANS.

“Delhi Capitals has all types of (bowling) options available, be it speed-wise, skill-wise or swing-wise. It motivates the fast bowlers to put their best foot forward because the margin of error is very less. At the same time, we are very good friends with each other and share our experiences, which is good for a fast-bowling combination.”

While most of the balls that he has bowled this season are on full and good length - his primary are of success in the previous year - Sakariya has decided to add more variations like yorkers and back of length balls to extend his domain. “After coming into DC, I have worked very hard on one thing: yorker. My yorker has now been strengthened a lot. Previously, I used to bowl 50 percent yorker and if someone told me to bowl six balls, I could have executed only three.” 

“Now, it has increased to four or five out of six. While sitting on the sidelines, I worked really hard on it. When the pitches were being made this year, I was seeing which ball will be more effective to add to my armoury. So, this is why I have worked a lot on my yorker and has sharpened a lot more now," the pacer added.