3 min readApr 5, 2026 09:57 AM IST
The Gujarat Titans batting unit comprises of more than one left-hander, and under such circumstances, it can become challenging for a leg-spinner to not just get wickets, but also control the flow of boundaries.
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Yet, Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, through a combination of skill and guile, managed to deliver one of the best spells of his IPL career, taking 4/41 in his four overs to help the visitors win by six runs.
Despite his Player of the Match exploits, however, Bishnoi praised the pace trio of Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande for the way they executed with the ball in the death overs, admittng that, along with his performance, that proved to be the difference between victory and defeat in the end.
“Sandy bhai (Sandeep Sharma) is a fabulous bowler, as we all know. But the way Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande executed their plans, I felt their execution was better in the last two overs. That made the difference between the two sides, the execution was the difference,” Bishnoi said at the post-match press conference.
The 25-year-old, who removed the well-set Sai Sudharsan for 73 and later also dismissed Washington Sundar for four runs, said that he was looking to make full use of the longer boundaries against both southpaws, and the plan worked on Saturday.
“There was a big boundary on one side, and more left‑hand batsmen in that team. I was trying to bowl the googly, so I was trying to hit them with the middle leg so that it would be difficult to hit on that side. In that plan, 2–3 batsmen were trapped. I tried to hit on the long end with the ball that came out for the lefty. In that, Sai and Washi were out. I discussed that tactic with my captain, and he worked with Dhruv,” Bishnoi said.
The IPL has seen several batter-friendly wickets so far this season, making it harder for bowlers to have a say in the game. Bishnoi felt that bowlers needed to focus on bowling a consistent line and length on surfaces to succeed.
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“I was focusing on my line and length. When I missed them, I got hit for fours and sixes. If I tried to hit the right lines and lengths, then batters would automatically look to go after you and get out.”
“The tracks are so flat that you can’t miss them. The margin of error (is small). The execution matters from the first over to the last over. The more you execute well, the results will fall in your favour,” the leg-spinner said.
