New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Vijaykumar Vyshak does not think about the batter at the other end when his time to bowl in the back end of an innings comes. He does not think about the scoreboard, crowd, or whether the last ball went for a boundary. Instead, the Punjab Kings fast bowler thinks only about execution and that is precisely what makes him a dangerous bowler in the death overs.
Vyshak has taken five wickets in two matches this season for PBKS, surpassing the four scalps he managed last year, and has relied on wide yorkers and slower bouncers to get his wickets against Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Ahead of the clash against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Vyshak laid out the mindset that has made him one of the more reliable pace options at a time where totals of 200-plus have become almost routine.
“Honestly, I mean, it’s all about how I feel about the game when I’m bowling. If I know that I’m confident about that particular day, it’s when I know that I’m nailing my yorkers. I think it doesn’t matter which batter is there or who’s batting.
“I know that as long as I am doing what I’m supposed to do, I’m going to win that challenge. It doesn’t matter if it goes for a boundary or a six. If it’s a good shot, then obviously you just move on and get back to your run up and then bowl the same delivery again.
“So I am someone who is going to look back and see if I am doing the things right and if I can manage to nail those whatever variations, lengths or yorkers that I’m supposed to bowl. If I do that, then I know that I am in a great space of mind and I know that I can win the game at any moment in the game for my team,” Vyshak told IANS in a virtual roundtable chat on Sunday.
Against GT, Vyshak bowled across phases and made inroads later in the innings. After being hit for boundaries by Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill, he returned to remove Glenn Phillips in the 14th over. In the closing stages, Vyshak varied his pace well – a short slower ball led to Washington Sundar caught at deep point, while a fuller one saw Shahrukh Khan hole out to deep square leg.
In PBKS’ recent win over CSK, Vyshak brought out the wide yorker to dismiss the swashbuckling Ayush Mhatre and then took out a rampaging Sarfaraz Khan to restrict the hosts to 209/5, which the visitors chased down easily. The idea of a wide yorker coming in from Vyshak came via captain Shreyas Iyer, who observed Mhatre had got a lot of boundaries through long-on, mid-wicket and square leg.
“For the wide yorkers, it was an instant plan from the captain because he was going really well on the leg side. So we just thought we’ll make sure we’ll try and make him try to hit the other side because he hadn’t hit a single boundary towards the point and third man region. So we just thought we’ll try and it did help us.
“We leaked a couple of boundaries, but we managed to get the run rate a bit down because the way they were looking, it looked like they were going to get 230. So from there, we restricted them to 210. Yes, 10 runs extra with five fielders inside, we must have given. But as a bowling team, we’ve been doing really well,” he added.
Vyshak traces the current good run for PBKS to his recent domestic season with Karnataka, where he shouldered the bowling attack even as the team struggled to get a trophy. He also remembers the learnings from the time spent with the India T20I team on tour to South Africa in 2024 and still harbours dream of playing Tests for the country, while having no complaints over the impact player rule – especially when it gives him a chance to play in the IPL.
“Of course, without working hard in the nets, you can’t be playing in such a big, big stage. So I seriously think that whatever you’ve been practicing and have been doing the right things, I think that is what is going to reflect in your games as well. So, thankfully, I have some nice coaches back home also.
“I have some inspiration from my Karnataka seniors who’ve been doing really well. I keep talking to them once in a while here and there whenever I have doubts. Even during the domestic season, I think I was the lead bowler. So I wanted to take charge and I wanted to do well for the team.
“Though we didn’t really do well as a team, but I think I gained a lot of confidence there and I did what I’m supposed to do. So, that is something that has helped me – domestic is something where you actually can gain your confidence because of how good cricket is in India. Whatever team you play, there are so many people who have been doing very well and there are all the Indian stars that do come and play in the domestic season – that has helped me a lot,” he elaborated.
He also arrives in IPL 2026 with new tricks up his sleeve, especially with tons of video analysis swarming pre-game preparations and will unleash them when the time is ripe. “Variations, yes, of course, whenever you come for a new season, you have to be prepared that you should know that there are so many people around.
“Every team has a video analyst and then they analyze your bowling and then they keep looking at it and you just have to keep getting better and better. So I always make sure that whenever I come, I have a new delivery for myself.
“So, that is what I’ve been trying to do. Yes, of course, I’ve been trying to get better and better with a couple of more slower ones or maybe a couple of more variations. So hopefully, I can maybe get it out this season or maybe next year. I don’t know, but let’s see,” he said.
For Vyshak, the unconditional backing from Iyer, whose doors are permanently open and keeps the dressing room environment light, is a necessity for someone like him navigating the unpredictability of T20 cricket.
“If you see on the ground as well, he’s been very supportive. He’s someone who’s always backed his bowlers and players. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing well or if you’ve not been doing well – that is something it is very important for a bowler, when you have someone like them as a captain or coach, especially when they are backing you when you’re doing or not doing well.
“So I think that is a constant that you require as a bowler, especially when you’re playing IPL, where you might have a couple of bad games. But then once you come in, they come and say ‘Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter – it’s just one game.’ Or when you come back, he is someone who keeps the environment very, very light. So he speaks to all the players in the same way he speaks to Ricky, me or anybody else.
“So that is something which has made us more comfortable and be more open. I can go and talk to him whenever his door is always open. He doesn’t lock his door – it’s always unlocked. So that is something that you always thrive on because he’s a senior – he’s done exceptionally well in this format. He’s been playing for India and I’m sure he’ll be the Indian captain soon.
“When somebody like him is so willingly coming and saying that ‘My doors are open. You can come and talk to me whenever you want,’ – that is something that we always love to do – like we can go and do it whenever we want to,” he concluded.
–IANS
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