One IPL His debut against his idol Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a “fanboy” moment for young Delhi Capitals batsman Ripple Patel, who said the talismanic Chennai Super Kings captain inspired him to pursue cricket.
The 26-year-old made his IPL debut against CSK due to the win on Monday. He scored only 18 runs in 20 balls but the youngster said that a welcome conversation with Dhoni at the end of the game made his day and boosted his confidence.
IPL 2021 Full Coverage | the schedule | Result | point tally | orange cap | purple hat
“It was a completely different feeling to see Mahi bhai behind the stumps when I took the guard. It was great that Mahi bhai is watching me play. I started playing cricket after watching Mahi bhai and I want to be a finisher like him.”
Read also: IPL Hetmyer’s Efforts Are Being Recognized, Says Ashwin
“After the game, I asked him how he finishes every match, how he thinks on the field and what is going through his mind while chasing the score. We had a good conversation and he gave me a lot of confidence.”
Asked about his feelings on bagging the Delhi Capitals cap before the game, he said: “I was really happy when I got my cap from Mishi bhai (Amit Mishra). Didn’t feel like this was my first match. I really enjoyed going to the match. I just looked back at myself and enjoyed every part of the game.”
Read also: Shocking numbers reveal Dhoni’s struggle with DRS
“When I went to bat (at 71/3), we needed to score runs at run-a-ball pace. My goal was to finish the match for the team. Shikhar bhai (Dhawan) told me to take my time at the crease, so I took my time and enjoyed my batting.”
Ripple also saw Kagiso Rabada finishing the match with a boundary in the last over.
“It was very important for us to win the match. It was a difficult situation when we needed 2 runs off 3 balls. We were looking for some runs and it was great to see Rabada hitting a boundary.
“I was disappointed that I didn’t finish the match, but it was great that the team won and reached 20 points.”
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
.