Always a fighter – Omkar Salvi heaps praise on Rasikh Salam Dar

RCB’s pace bowling department has been a major force that has seen them rise to the echelons of dominance. From Josh Hazlewood’s singular performances to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s understanding of the game, it has been nothing short of a wonder story. A new cog in the grand wheel of affairs has arrived in the form of Rasikh Salam Dar.

RCB’s bowling coach, Omkar Salvi opened up on RCB Bold Dairies, explaining when he first saw Dar in action and what his prime facets were.

Salvi said, “When I saw that boy, he was playing in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was playing for J&K. I was with some other state team. Watching him play, the first thing that I noticed about him was that he was competitive. He was also creative in his approach. Apart from swinging the ball either ways, he had a different perspective looking at things.”

Revealing how Dar’s inclusion happened, Salvi stated, “DK was the main man who always thought that he had the potential to perform at this level. He had enough research behind it. My part as a bowling coach was to make him understand that the game is so unpredictable. The pitch will not be in favour of you. There will be times when the batter will be hard on you. There will be times when the conditions will be very tough. There will be dew. The ball is not moving much. That time, having clarity of thoughts is important.”

Underlining Rasikh’s diligence, Omkar added, “I have seen him working hard last whole year. He was always a fighter. He always kept working hard. He was always trying to learn from every game we saw, sitting out. Then he had his own opinion. We used to discuss after the game during practice. Rasikh has the ability to move the ball either ways.”