Driven by pace and fuelled by form, Karnataka's Vyshak Vijaykumar harbours a contract from the IPL 2023 Auction

The IPL buzz is up and running yet again as we head closer to the end of 2022, with Kochi set to host the IPL 2023 Auction on December 2023. A total of 991 players threw their hat in the ring in anticipation of an IPL contract that could well put them on the path to stardom, and that number has now been pruned down to 405 names.

Just as is the case every year, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 season unearthed exciting talents who might well be knocking the doors of IPL teams with impressive performances for their state units.

One among the names making the rounds is Karnataka's young seamer Vyshak Vijaykumar, who finished the tournament with the best economy rate (6.31 RPO) among the top 10 best pacers this season.

Vyshak accounted for 15 wickets in 10 matches and his economy was bettered only by Maharashtra's Satyajeet Bachhav (6.30 RPO) in the list of top 5 wicket-takers in the SMAT 2022 edition.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to playing in such an intensely competitive atmosphere, though. Vyshak made his Karnataka debut during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2021, and inside the next year, he also played his first Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the senior team.

In 14 T20 matches, Vyshak has 22 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.94 - quite a stat for a pacer in the shortest format of the game. Blessed with the gift of raw pace, Vyshak's also developed a couple of skills such as the knuckleball and a terrific yorker that's made him Karnataka's go-to bowler in the powerplay and at the death.

Vyshak also had a foray into the IPL, although that opportunity came as a net bowler for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the IPL 2021 season. Now, with the IPL 2023 Auction only a few weeks away and form on his side, the young pacer is confident of earning his maiden full-time contract that would be a reward for the extra hard yards he's put in over the past few years.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Vyshak shares his thoughts on setbacks that have fuelled his comeback, bowling to the best in the business, grinding it out and working on fine tuning certain aspects and more.

Q. You put on quite a show in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season. Talk us through what worked well for you?

Very honestly, when I didn't find a place in Karnataka's XI for the Syed Mushtaq Ali final, I was very disappointed but then I realized that being just good was not enough, I needed to be the best version of myself. I knew I had to stand out with my skills. I wanted to get better with my economy as well and develop some skills that help in the shortest format like the knuckleball and nailing the yorker.

More importantly, I was told my pace was good but I was not consistent and so this season, my primary target was to target the right line and lengths. I'm glad it paid off and a lot of people were very happy with my economy rates. I worked very hard during the off-season and that's a big driving factor behind these results. I enjoy challenges and love bowling both with the new ball and at the death. I believe my quick yorkers at the death is a major strength that I hope to execute well in every match I play.

Q. Off-season is a very crucial time for cricketers. Did you work with anyone specific who helped you fine-tune your skills?

Yes, I worked with Abhimanyu Mithun a lot during the off-season, we started immediately once the 2021 Ranji Trophy season ended. I can't thank him enough for everything that he has done for me. He helped me a lot with settling into my run-up, I would earlier jump out a lot but he made me do a few drills which helped me not just bowl better but also mentally plan on setting batsmen up.

At KKR as well, Abhishek Nayar helped me get my alignments right and I worked on that aspect with Mithun Anna. He would bowl in tandem with me in the nets during the off-season and set targets. I've looked up to Mithun Anna and he's one of Karnataka's biggest legends, I'm very lucky to have him as my mentor.

Q. Your stint at KKR, how big was that opportunity for you? Bowling to the likes of Andre Russell, Shubman Gill must have been quite a task?

It was a huge opportunity for me, no doubt. I was thrilled to be among such elite cricketers and I learned so much just by being a part of the team. Prasidh was also a part of KKR and I've always been very comfortable talking to him about my career, he's also been extremely helpful.

Watching Prasidh run into bowl in the IPL has been nothing short of an adrenaline rush for me, and I hope I can get to that level in the coming year.

Q. What about bowling to star cricketers like Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey among others in the nets? Have they shared some ideas for your development?

They are both among the best batters in India, and bowling to them is a massive learning curve. When you bowl to such established cricketers, the room for error is close to zero and you have to always be in the zone. Mayank and Manish have both captained teams in the IPL, and so they've both passed on their experience of having played at the highest level. Their ideas fuelled my success in the Syed Mushtaq Ali season, especially this year.

Q. Karnataka doesn't boast of express pacers, especially in the past 2-3 years. Does that further inspire you to stand out with your ability to bowl fast?

My desire to bowl fast has always been there since I was 17 years old. I captained the U-16 state team and played as a batsman but it was coach Raman who, in his own unique and indirect way, triggered me to bowl fast by saying I can't be a fast bowler. From that day until now, I have also believed in myself and I want to be among the fastest bowlers to have represented Karnataka and India.

I do understand that to play at the highest level, I need to mix pace with consistency. I've worked a lot on bowling in the right areas and targetting lengths that can be troubling for the batsmen. It feels good to bowl fast, I want to bowl consistently at 145-150 kph and prove my worth as a pacer.

Q. How has the Maharaja Trophy (Karnataka Premier League before) helped in your journey so far?

The biggest plus of the Maharaja Trophy is that people can watch us live, either on TV or in the stadium. For me personally, that drives my performance because I want to thrill the audience with my pace and skills, that's my mindset. KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) has helped a lot on that front by giving me such exposure, I've played in the T20 League since I was 17 which has helped me get used to the lights and sound.

It's an amazing platform, the competition is very high because we have a lot of IPL stars and senior Indian team cricketers who play alongside us. many players who take part in the IPL are also taking part in the Maharaja. The biggest lesson I've learnt from this tournament is that as bowlers we do get hit, that's the nature of the T20 format. Eventually, despite going for runs, it's about how we make a comeback and that is what matters.

Q. Finally, what's your support system back at home like? Are they also hoping to live the dream of you playing for India and in the IPL?

I must say, I have the best parents in the world. They have been very supportive, right from the time I was in school and then in college. They have always allowed me to practice and never forced me to sacrifice cricket for education. My father was a cricket coach and so, in my younger days, I was always playing from morning till evening, that's where I learnt the ropes.

We have the same dream, to see me run into bowl for an IPL team as a short-term goal and eventually to see me don the India cricket team colours. Hopefully, I have done enough in the last few months to get picked in the IPL auction, which would be the first step in fulfilling our family's dreams!