‘Despite dip in performance, still in race for highest wicket-takers’ | Lucknow News
Lucknow: After last year’s brilliant performance, leg spinner and Lucknow lad Vipraj Nigam is battling to maintain his domination in the UPT20 league this season. So far, he has taken 15 wickets for Lucknow Falcons in nine innings at an economy rate of 8 runs. He believes that this is too he is in the race for highest wicket-takers.Last year, he was the second highest wicket-taker after which he was roped in by Delhi Capitals (DC) for the IPL where he bagged 11 wickets in 13 innings.Speaking about the role of UPT20 League in getting entry into the IPL, he said, “I think if one performs well in UPT20, franchises take notice. UPT20 League helped me to play in IPL and domestic cricket.”Asked about how difficult it is to maintain consistency in UPT20 League, he said, “It is important to maintain consistency but there can be a drop in performance. Despite the drop this time, I have 15-16 wickets and in the race to be among top wicket-takers.”“Last year, the wickets were spin-friendly. This time, what I was aiming for isn’t happening. However, I have come back stronger in the last 2-3 matches,” Vipraj said.“Bowling in T20 is tough, especially for spinners, as big shots are played. As a wrist spinner, it is challenging because we are aware that shots will be hit. I am always confident about my overall performance,” he said.Asked if batting in the lower order affected his run scoring opportunities, he said, “Batting in the lower order doesn’t affect me. I just need 4-5 balls to get set. My team is strong, so I come in to bat after 7-8 good batters. It doesn’t affect me much.”“Contributing with the bat is important. if you score 15-20 runs in T20 cricket, it becomes useful for the team. In fast-paced cricket, it’s challenging to secure a spot in the team by just being a bowler or having one skill,” he said.“When you come from playing in the big leagues, there’s always pressure to maintain that level, and every player has some season where everything goes well regardless of what they do,” he added.
