Interview: Sunil Joshi on KPL, fitness and selection headaches

David Johnson, Venkatesh Prasad, and Sunil Joshi will be playing in KPL this season

After the press conference that announced the inclusion of Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi and David Johnson in Kiccha Sudeep’s celebrity team for the Karbonn Smart Karnataka Premier League 2015, the soft-spoken Sunil Joshi joined Sportskeeda for a small chat. Here’s how it went:

Karnataka has performed very well recently, winning all three trophies. Do you think the KPL has played a part in this success?

Yes, definitely. KPL has contributed in some way to the performance of the players. Karnataka has recently done well in all formats. They have performed consistently, which is very important. Karnataka has a lot of talent, especially rural Karnataka. And KPL gives them a chance.

It’s been almost three years since you retired. Do you believe your fitness levels are up to the mark?

Three years! It certainly doesn’t feel that long. (smiles) Fitness is a mindset. It’s about what you think. And I have kept fit by playing league cricket, perhaps that is why doesn’t feel like I have been out of the game for long. I have been a part of KPL before too.

What do you think about day-night Test matches?

Well, let’s see how it shapes up, let’s see what lies ahead. We have to wait and see what it is like.

Do you like the pink ball?

We used the pink ball in the second year of the KPL.

What convinced you to make a comeback?

Big thanks to Sudeep for that. (laughs) He convinced me to be a part of this initiative. A lot of talent lies in Karnataka and giving them a chance is important, and KPL is doing that. Matches will be played in Hubli and Mysore, and I am excited about playing in my hometown (Hubli). We might spot some new talent, so we are looking forward to that. And the game is always fun, good fun. There are no more selection headaches for us now. There is no pressure from the selectors. This is our tournament.

Will you play in the MCL?

If given a chance, why not?