Josh Hazlewood is red-ball king: Siddharth Kaul

Siddharth Kaul is an unheralded name when it comes to the international cricketing arcade but the fast bowler has proven to be crucial in domestic cricket and continues to be a big name. In the latest edition of the IPL mega-auction, former Sunrisers expressman, Siddharth Kaul was snapped by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Despite being snubbed by the national team on multiple occasions, he still continues to believe as his dedication and perseverance is still unwavering. Kaul managed to claim 16 wickets from 10 games in 2017 and then backed it up with an even stronger performance in 2018 where he claimed 21 wickets that has been his finest run so far.

Kaul spoke about his aspirations and his exact feelings about being chosen by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Speaking about his purchase by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he stated, “Definitely it feels nice. It was towards the end of the auction that I got picked but thanks to RCB, the support staff, and coaches that they believe in me. I will rejoin Virat Kohli after 14 long years (after playing in the Under-19 World Cup), in between I also played with him for the Indian team. I think it’s a great moment for me and it’s really exciting at the same time.”

He also shed light on his comeback as he said, “I believe only performance can bring you back. In the last few seasons, I have seen some ups and downs but before that my performances have been outstanding from IPL 2017, courtesy of which I was able to reap the rewards.”

Kaul further added, “This is part of a sportsman’s life where you will go through the pendulum of ups and downs but the important thing which matters a lot is how passionate, committed, and hard-working you are towards your game. So you need to keep making a few tweaks, which I am making in my game. Unfortunately, I haven’t been at my best in the IPL in the last couple of seasons. In fact, I think I did a decent job for SRH but I didn’t get a longer run, which I believe I should have got.”

Talking about playing alongside Kohli, Kaul cited, “I think his consistency, temperament, and hunger to win at all cost makes him what he is today. I have been noticing his passion since he was my Under-19 captain in 2008. We also try to follow in his footsteps but sometimes you achieve success early whereas sometimes it gets a bit delayed. He has huge determination and he is also an outstanding person, a very good friend. In fact, he meets the same way he used to meet during the Under-19 days. I have a good bonding with him and hopefully, we will be able to go all the way in the IPL together if we will have some rub of the green on our side.”

He also shared his insight about playing with Faf as he quoted, “I think support staff can answer this question better. If there is a player who has played with Faf, he can answer it better. But this will be the first time when I will be playing with him. But I think Virat Kohli has left a legacy as he has got the best out of the players and he has left a positive culture and hopefully, the new captain will be able to lead on the same lines. On a personal note, I am looking forward to giving my 120% to the team as they have shown faith in me.”

He concluded by saying his fellow partners in the RCB bowling department, saying, “Josh Hazlewood is the red-ball king and I will definitely have a chat with him regarding my red-ball game. For T20s, I will have a discussion with Harshal Patel and Mohammed Siraj and I think they will guide me on the right path.”