"Virat Kohli bats in the nets like he is batting in a game", says Eagle Thane Strikers' Kruthik Hangavadi

The T20 Mumbai League witnessed a massive growth from season one to season two. Wankhede was filled with spectators for most games and the level of cricket was way higher than the previous year. The players were provided with an opportunity to showcase their talent, a few players missed out while some of them grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

One such player was Eagle Thane Strikers' Kruthik Hangavadi. The pacer was the strike bowler for the Eagle Thane Strikers, his exploits in the league won him the award for the Best Emerging Player. Kruthik picked up 9 wickets in 5 games at an impressive strike rate. He was a miser in his approach as he gave away runs at an economy of 8.10.

In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda, Kruthik Hangavadi narrates his tournament experience and gives us an insight into bowling in the nets.

''I watched the finals and the stadium was jam-packed and I realized that the T20 Mumbai League has become so big. Performing in front of so many people and soaking the pressure and doing what the team needs from me gives immense pleasure and confidence to step into the bigger leagues", said Kruthik while talking about his success and the league's success.

During the Indian Premier League, Kruthik's role becomes integral as he bowls to the Mumbai Indians batsmen in the nets at Wankhede. He believes that it's a challenge to bowl to the senior batsmen and to see how they approach the bowling. He also spoke about the experience he gained from the likes of Zaheer Khan.

''I always loved challenges and it is a challenge bowling to the giants and not letting them score at their pace. Initially, when I started bowling to international stars, I used to only bowl the normal seam-up good length deliveries and get hit and that is when I started to learn that if I won't nail the yorkers and other variations, I will be hit day in and out and that is what has actually helped me grow as a bowler".

"The other part of attending Mumbai Indians practice sessions is chatting with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Shane Bond, Zaheer Khan, and the trainers. This is an opportunity to gain knowledge from the best and it's important to see how they prepare themselves before a game".

While talking about the toughest batsman to bowl to, Kruthik named two of the finest players in the world, "Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni", he said instantly. When I ran into bowl, they would dance down the track and hit the ball over long off and during my follow through I would know that they had stepped out, they were that quick out of the blocks. Knowing that they would step out, I would pull back my length but then they would cut or pull the ball".

"One thing I learned from Virat Kohli is that the way he bats in the nets is the same way he bats in the matches. He takes time in the middle and then goes for his shots". This indicates Virat Kohli's hard work in the nets is similar to his in-ground hard work during the games. He approaches the game in the same manner and his intensity is always up to the mark.

Kruthik started playing football before he stepped into a cricketer's shoe, ''I have always been into sports. I started playing football from the age of 8, played fora top school in Mumbai, Don Bosco, then simultaneously played cricket and the thought of playing at a top level never crossed my mind. I kept enjoying both sports and with time I started to know I'm good enough to do well in cricket and then I shifted my focus completely to it".

Talking about his career goals, Kruthik was subtle in his approach. ''I started playing cricket because I enjoyed playing and the goal remains the same. I want to keep enjoying but at the same time not to take anything for granted and wake up every morning with an aim of improving. I have never said to myself that I will take a fifer in the morning and got it that day so I wouldn't like to put added pressure on myself saying I will have to do a certain thing, I just like to enjoy my game'', Kruthik concluded.