IPL 2022 | 'I thought that I was cursed in India' - Mitchell Marsh

The Australian star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh believes that he was cursed in India for his unlucky omissions from the initial games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Marsh, who represented Delhi Capitals this season, missed the first four matches due to injury and was ruled out again after playing just one game as he tested Covid-19 positive. 


Speaking to cricket.com.au, Marsh revealed that he thought as if he was cursed after these unfortunate events. 


“After my first couple of weeks there, I thought I was cursed in India. I got through my initial injury- which was very minor-but then to play one game and get COVID; it was a bit of a shaky start,” Marsh said. 


However, after recovering from coronavirus, the flamboyant stroke player from Western Australia established himself as a vital cog of the Capitals’ batting unit. 


Statistically speaking, the maestro all-rounder amassed 251 runs from eight innings at a glorious strike rate of 132.80, including two match-winning half centuries against Rajasthan and Punjab after becoming a regular in Delhi’s Playing XI. 


In his reaction, the experienced cricketer expressed his immense satisfaction with his consistent run in the latter half of the tournament and admitted to having enjoyed his time during that period. 


“But once I got going, it was nice to put a few consistent performances on the board. I absolutely loved my time there,” Marsh said. 


Continuing, Marsh highly applauded Ricky Ponting’s coaching skills for how the former Australian captain cares for his players. He also revealed that Ponting made him feel like a significant player for the Capitals, which boosted his self-confidence to a great extent. 


“I got a real sense of how much he (Ponting) cares for his players- I guess that’s probably what he was like as a captain and a leader of a team”, Marsh said. “Just the way he makes you feel- he made me feel like I was a really important player for Delhi. You gain confidence from that when a leader instils that sort of confidence in you,” the 30-year-old concluded.    


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Ravi Shastri comments on Dinesh Karthik's chances of making India's T20 World Cup squad

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes that veteran Dinesh Karthik can perform the finisher's role for the team at the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year. Karthik has recently earned a recall to the Indian side for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa on the back of his impressive performances for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The experienced wicketkeeper-batter has scored 330 runs in the cash-rich league at an excellent average of 55.00 and a stunning strike rate of 183.33. Meanwhile, during an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Game Plan’, Shastri was asked if he thought DK could make it for Team India's squad for the World Cup. "You have to see from the team's point of view, what are they looking for? Do they want a keeper who will bat at the top of the order or do they want a keeper who will be the finisher? I will go for the latter. You need a keeper who will do MS Dhoni's role, let's put it that way," Shastri said on the show. The ex-Indian cricketer also stated that choosing Karthik as the second wicketkeeper in the squad would be a good choice. "There is already Rishabh Pant who can bat in the top four or five in T20 cricket but you want someone who can keep and finish a game because they aren't too many finishers now with MS (Dhoni) having quit. So I think that's where his chances are very very good," Shastri explained. However, the ‘Men in Blue’ have struggled for the finisher's position ever since legendary wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni announced his retirement. With most of India's renowned batters playing in the top order for their respective franchises in the IPL, the team has struggled to find a reliable finisher, especially with Hardik Pandya's injury concerns. However, Shastri said that DK would have to showcase his skills again in the T20Is against South Africa for him to be in the squad for the mega event. "This is his opportunity. If and when he gets an opportunity in these games, he has to do it with India colors on. We know he has got the experience, so this becomes extremely vital," he concluded. However, it will be interesting to see how many games Karthik gets in the five-match series against the South Africa team. With Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan also in the team as wicketkeeper-batters, the veteran will have to grab the limited opportunities available.