Former Rajasthan Royals player Shreyas Gopal celebrates after taking a wicket during an IPL game (File Photo)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) absorbed former Rajasthan Royals (RR) all-rounder Shreyas Gopal for INR 75 Lacs during the IPL 2022 Mega Auction on February 12-13. In an exclusive conversation with IndiaTV, the all-rounder seemed confident to tread a new journey in the cash-rich league- to be playing for the orange brigade under Kane Williamson's leadership.
The 28-year allrounder talked about his journey from being a batsman back then in 2013 to being an all-rounder now. Shreyas also touched upon cricketer's life in the bio-bubble and how they have digested this bitter pill as as the new normal.
Excerpts from the interview.
Q- First of all, many congratulations on being picked up by SRH for 75 Lacs for IPL 2022. How does it feel to think of featuring for the orange brigade under Kane Williamson's leadership and starting a new chapter in the IPL?
A- Yeah, I am always excited to play the IPL. I am really excited that Hyderabad bought me. I have been really working hard on my skills and doing to the best of my abilities. In that sense, I am really charged and ready to go. I am really excited to play under Kane. Firstly, I have heard that he is an unbelievable person and a captain. He understands and analyzes the game very well. To play under someone like Kane is going to be very thrilling for me personally. He is someone who is very calm, composed. And as a player, we all know what he is capable of.
Q- Your four-year stint with Rajasthan Royals started well when you registered a hat trick against RCB in 2019. But the last two seasons haven't come out that impressive for you in the pink jersey. How would you rate your association with the Royals and how did it hone you as a cricketer?
A- I think my first season was 2018 and in 2019 I got the hat trick. See, Rajasthan Royals is definitely be going to be a very special team for me. No doubts about that. Because they got me where I am today and opened the gates for me at a time when I wasn't really sure that I will get an IPL contract or not at that stage in 2018. In that sense, they really came and did a lot of good to me- giving me that exposure, giving me that freedom at that level against some of the best players in the world.
In that sense, they really gave me and put me out in the sea and told me to find my way. We are behind you if you need anything. That was great to see in the last four years.
Obviously, 2020 wasn't too bad but 2021 wasn't great for me. I know where I had to put in more effort and hard yards in terms of a cricketer. Definitely, I will cover those aspects and I am really ready to take on and play the IPL with that much zeal that I have always been playing this game.
Q- You have the Ranji Trophy season in March ahead of the IPL. How do you take this challenge of shifting gears -from playing the red-ball game for Karnataka to featuring in the shortest format of the white ball game in a short span of time in between?
A- Firstly, we are professionals, so we have to make that switch. It is more of a mental switch- in terms of line, length, a lot of strategies, and a lot of changes in that sense. I think if you are very sure of your game plan and very sure of your skillset, I think that change isn't too hard. Yeah, it will be a little bit of a challenge to understand certain things. But I think as professionals we have to be good at it and make that switch as easy and smooth as possible. There are now questions about that.
And yeah, probably I am going to play my four-day game I think after two years. It is a long time. We have been playing a couple of three-day, four-day games as practice games before selection. So, I am coming in with a little bit of game time in terms of the red ball So, I am really excited about this Ranji Trophy and hopefully, we can end up playing the qualifiers and the knockout post the IPL as well.
Q- You were a playing member of India U19 team in 2011 and even captained Karnataka in various age-group levels before finally making your domestic career debut for the state in 2013. Pour some light on the early days of your career and how do you see your evolvement as a cricketer in the past few years?
A- Firstly, till around 2013 I was mainly a batsman. I am sure most people know that. The switch from a batsman to a bowling all-rounder has been a great switch in terms of where I stand right now. And the kind of opportunities that I am getting, I am really very happy and thankful for that. Obviously, when you have to take that much load now, as an all-rounder you have to be willing to bowl.
If you are playing Test cricket, four-day cricket, you have to be willing to bowl 30-35 overs and go out there in the middle order and be able to score as many runs as you can. You know in that sense it is giving me more game time also. Sometimes people tell me that it is going to be a lot on your body but on the contrary, I am getting much game time. You are always in the game as a batsman and you are always in the game as a bowler.
That switch was a little different I would say, I wouldn't say good, bad, or ugly. Honestly, I would say it is for the better.
I am happy that people saw the potential that I had even with the ball. And yes I loved bowling the spin and it is a great change. I think that is the way forward.
I remember in my first Ranji Trophy game back then in 2013, I batted at number 4 in the first innings. As said, in my earlier days, I was mainly known as a batsman who could bowl. But then bowling just took over from there and I got a lot of wickets in the first year. And from the, there was no looking back and I just needed to continue doing the same thing with both ball and bat.
Q- Staying away from family takes a toll, especially with the bio-bubbles in place. How do you manage to keep your focus while balancing your family life?
A- See, the bio-bubble is difficult. To be very honest, the pandemic has made it much difficult but if you look at it everyone is doing the same thing, everything is going through it. Everyone is finding their ways on being tough on it and finding ways to keep themselves occupied, to keep themselves motivated, to keep themselves going. Sometimes there is no step[ping pout of your room or going to a mall or going out for dinner.
In the IPL, you have a great team room, you have your space there and you can have a fine time there. But it is obviously different from going outside and getting some fresh air.
We are professional sportsmen and this comes at a price. You do all this hard work all these years to get a good game time and perform well and stay mentally and physically fit.
Mental fatigue also sets in sometimes but I think it is very commendable the way the boys in the Indian team are actually tackling it. They are traveling 300 plus days in a year and that's not easy at all.
Staying indoors for such a long is suffocating at times. But now I think the quarantine would be five or six days which was earlier eight days. So, we used to get out for the practice on the ninth day and that was pretty hard. The days post five are actually tiring and just don't go. How long can one sit and watch, how long can you do room exercises!! You don't meet one person and probably if you open the door for food, you just exchange a 'Hi' and you are done. These things are actually hard. You can speak to family and friends on the phone but it is very different from spending time with them in person.
Having said that, I believe that it is the new normal and the first part was very very hard and I think now it is something that we are very used to. So, our bodies and minds are very used to it. I don't think there is any cricketer who is complaining as there is already so much on the platter that they just want to go out there and perform. That's how even I look at it.
Q- Every cricketer aims to play for India. How do you motivate yourself to play for India amidst some stiff competition?
A- I think competition is the best thing, otherwise, you won't be bringing out the best from within you. That is great to have. I think you have to be on the top of your game at all times. You cannot lack at any time. In the absence of competition, you not only start not performing, I think you aren't there, you are not even close to being able to perform.
So, I think you have to be at the top of your game. Your work ethic has to be at 100 percent in that sense. That's the only way and you have to keep having your goals, constantly gauge them, and believe in them that it is going to come true. You want it, want to do well and have that burn, That's what keeps me going and hopefully I don that cap very soon and make everyone proud.
