'A blessing in disguise for me': KKR fast bowler Shivam Mavi on postponement of IPL

While cricketers all over the world were left frustrated by the coronavirus derailing upcoming tours and tournaments, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Shivam Mavi feels the IPL being postponed was a “blessing in disguise” for him.

"Had the IPL happened in April-May, I would have missed my second straight season. I was scheduled to recover only mid-April. Then to cope that kind of bowling workload straightaway may have been tough, so the last four months have given me time to recover, rehabilitate and become stronger," Mavi said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.

The IPL was initially scheduled to start from March 29 before the pandemic forced the stakeholders to delay it by almost six months. The 13th edition will kick-start in the UAE on September 19.

The 21-year-old was recuperating from a stress fracture in his back which had showed up in a scan after his Ranji game against Railways in Meerut last December.

Shivam Mavi had recovered from another back injury just three months earlier. It was the same injury which had ruled him out of the previous season of the IPL, as well.

Shivam Mavi has been training in Noida since early June

Shivam Mavi was picked by KKR in the 2018 auctions for INR 3 crore. Credits: ESPNcricinfo

Shivam Mavi has been training with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suresh Raina at a private facility in Noida for the past three weeks.

"He [Bhuvneshwar] only keeps telling me, 'swing is your natural strength'. I feel I have good pace anyway, so I don't worry about that aspect. If I can retain that swing, I can be lethal even at 135 kph. I've honestly never thought about pace. For me, rhythm is most important," Mavi added.

Mavi revealed he was bowling at “70 to 80 per cent” of his usual level when the initial lockdown was imposed in March. After Six months of training and gym sessions, regular consultations with support staff of both the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and KKR, Mavi will feel he can add to his tally of 5 wickets for KKR when the IPL starts in a month’s time.