Post Zak, Sran could be the one

Chandigarh: When Zaheer Khan called it a day, the first question that struck cricket experts was: Who after Zak? With skipper Virat Kohli more or less settling down with his pace attack comprising Bhubaneshwar Kumar, Jaspreet Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami, an entry of a left-arm pacer would add a lot of balance to the pace attack as history bears testimony. Is Punjab and

Kings XI Punjab

pacer Barinder Sran, the right man for the job?

There’s no denying that Sran, who emerged on the scene after picking up six wickets against Railways in the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season and who was compared to Zaheer by Yuvraj Singh. Sran, who, at one point, was touted to be the natural replacement for Zaheer, told TOI “I set short-term goals. I'm not thinking about getting back to the Indian team now. My aim now is to do well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and help my team go all the way.”

The left-arm pacer from Mohali made a dream ODI debut for India against Australia, Down Under, returning with figures of 3/56 albeit in a losing cause. He has represented India in six ODIs and two T20Is after bowing out of the team due to injury. “I've been unlucky with injuries for a while now. But right now I am bowling well and by God’s grace there is no injury. I am eager to do well in this IPL," said Sran.

Injuries have plagued Sran since the time he made his India debut. Over the last year and a half, he has had knee, ankle and foot injuries. “It is not at all easy to make a comeback after so many injuries. The last one and half year was difficult for me,” Sran reflected.

But that is a thing of the past. It’s time to look ahead. And Sran couldn’t have asked for a better platform to showcase his skills on.

With former India pacer, Venkatesh Prasad slipping into the role of Kings XI bowling coach, Sran hopes to make the most of it. “Venky Sir has a very sharp cricketing mind. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the way he took the attack to the opposition. And can you forget the 1996 World Cup quarters against Pakistan, when he got back at Aamer Sohail cleaning him up?” asked Sran.

Elaborating on Prasad, Sran said, “He has told me to keep things simple and I am working on variations such as yorkers, cutters and slower bumper (slower bouncer) and trust me, I have improved significantly under him in the past week.”

Looking back at the domestic season which turned out to be ordinary for Punjab, Sran revealed, “It was not a bad season overall. I did well in bits and pieces, but I lacked consistency.”

After a series of injuries, Sran has worked on his bowling action and remodelled it a bit under the guidance of former Punjab medium-pacer Amit Uniyal. The new action has not only helped him avoid injuries, but he feels his pace has also increased.

“I feel that my pace was increasing and I will try to breach the 140kmph mark this season,” he said.

Kings XI have a power-packed batting line-up with the likes of Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Aggarwal, David Miller and Yuvraj Singh but when it comes to the bowling department, they look thin on the papers.

“I don’t think we lack venom in our bowling. Let the season begin, the results will be there for all to see,” said Sran, who along with Mohit Sharma would lead the pace attack of Kings XI Punjab.

Sran also hopes Ravichandran Ashwin’s captaincy would bring the best out of him. “I am looking forward to playing under Ashwin and evolve under his leadership. At the end of the day, performance will be the key and I hope I can prove my mettle,” Sran said.

Yuvi Pa has been a mentor

Having Yuvi Pa in the same dressing room is a blessing for me. He has personally guided me in my career and he always helps to create a good environment for the team. He has such a vast experience under his belt and his presence will boost my confidence.