'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shivam Mavi made his name as one of the future speedsters of Indian cricket in the 2018 U19 World Cup. His impressive performances saw him picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the IPL 2018 auction for a whopping INR 3 crore.
Tipped to be one of the most exciting pacers to watch out for in the KKR ranks, Mavi had a decent debut campaign in the IPL 2018 season, picking up five wickets in nine games.
He could have made a big difference for KKR the season after and was expected to shoulder more responsibility. However, he endured a stress fracture which led to him missing out on the IPL 2019 season.
Nevertheless, instead of giving up and losing patience, KKR looked after Shivam Mavi and fellow young pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti and took full responsibility for their rehabilitation. In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Shivam Mavi explained what KKR means to him as a franchise.
"KKR has supported me a lot. Even when me and Nagarkoti were injured, they retained us because they knew what we were capable of and supported us. The ones who support in bad times are the best. So that gave us the motivation and confidence to do well for the team," Shivam Mavi asserted.
The two young pacers had someone to look up to in Pat Cummins. The Aussie speedster himself had to deal with a whole host of injuries when he was young and he helped Mavi and Nagarkoti learn how to look after their bodies. In this regard, Mavi added:
"Even Pat Cummins had a stress fracture thrice so he had told us that injuries are part and parcel of the game but how you come back is important. To remain mentally strong and physically fit is what he guided us about."
Shivam Mavi still remembers his first wicket for KKR, which was the then Delhi Daredevils skipper Gautam Gambhir. He still remembers that as his best moment in a KKR shirt.
"My best memory in KKR was against Delhi Daredevils, I had dismissed Gautam Gambhir and that was my best wicket and best moment," he said.
Shivam Mavi on KKR's IPL 2021 campaign so far
KKR have been disappointing in the first half of IPL 2021. They failed to win five out of their seven games and are currently rock bottom. In the IPL 2020 season, Shivam Mavi picked up nine wickets in eight games and impressed one and all.
However, he played just three games in the first half of the season this year. He agreed that it was a bit frustrating to not get consistent chances. Mavi also felt that the team combination was something that KKR struggled to cement early on.
However, Shivam Mavi believes there is enough time for KKR to make a comeback and possibly make it to the playoffs if they play well in the second half in UAE. In this regard, he stated:
"Till now the seven matches in which we have played we have lost five so yes we felt bad. But I feel team combination is important and when that is not right then you can't win a game. So that's what I feel in the first half that our combination wasn't set. Hopefully if we get our combination right in the second half then hopefully we will win. When you do well and you don't play regularly you do get frustrated a bit."
Ready to lead the KKR pace attack if needed: Shivam Mavi
Cummins has already stated that he won't be a part of the second half of the IPL to be played in the UAE. This means that KKR might need to depend a lot on their young bowlers to do the job.
Although he is still very young, this is Shivam Mavi's fourth season for KKR and he believes he is ready to make an impression as the leader of the pace attack in the second half. He feels he has the ability to step up when KKR needs him the most.
"If I am told to lead the bowling then obviously I will do that because I am ready for it. Absence of foreign players will bring the load on domestic bowlers. But I am ready for the challenge because this is my fourth year for KKR and I feel I am ready," Shivam Mavi concluded.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
