Zeeshan Ansari’s long wait for a return to red-ball cricket has been fuelled by the lessons he picked up during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad last year, where he had the opportunity to work alongside spin greats Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori. A member of India’s 2016 Under-19 batch alongside Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant, Ansari’s career appeared to be losing momentum before a stint with the IPL franchise gave it a fresh push. He followed it up with a strong comeback for Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, nearly five years after his last Ranji Trophy appearance for the state in 2020.
Ansari’s domestic performances soon earned him an India A call-up, and the 26-year-old now has another opportunity to make his mark, having been picked to represent Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy.
“When I was in SRH, I benefited a lot from Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori. They told me a lot of things about bowling that I did not know. Whatever I learnt from them has helped me a lot. If I keep doing the same things, my graph will improve,” Ansari told PTI Videos.
The 26-year-old has also been benefiting from the guidance of veteran spinner Piyush Chawla during the UP T20 League.
“I have spoken to Piyush Chawla twice in the UP T20. He told me that I am bowling really well and gave me some advice. I am learning as much as I can from them. They are helping me a lot,” he said.
Ansari has carried his impressive form into the UP T20 League, where he is the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets from six matches. His Meerut Mavericks have also been unbeaten, winning all six games so far.
“The team is in good mood right now. We have won six out of six matches, so everyone is happy. I want to go and play the Duleep Trophy after this match. So, this will be my last match here. After that, I want to do well in Duleep Trophy,” he said.
He also praised captain Rinku Singh for his communication skills and ability to connect with the players.
“The best thing about him is that he talks to all the players. Even when you are on the ground, he is able to connect with you and understand you. He asks you whether you should bowl or not. That makes him really special,” Ansari said.
On the transition to red-ball cricket, Ansari said he has been preparing for the format since the IPL and knows that consistency will be key.
“I think there is a challenge everywhere. You will face a challenge in every format. You can play one-day cricket, T20 or red-ball cricket; there is a challenge in every format. In this (T20) format, you have to bowl four overs and put in all your effort. In the Duleep Trophy, there will be a lot more bowling.
“I think the bowling I am doing here and the bowling I want to do in red-ball cricket require a lot of consistency. If I go there (Duleep Trophy) and keep bowling, use the air well (give flight to the ball), understand the batsman and not let him do what he wants to do, it will help me a lot,” he said.
Ansari says his ability to bounce back after nearly five years has been down to his focus on the present rather than dwelling too much on the past or think about the future.
“I don’t think too much about my future. I forget about the past. I don’t remember what I did yesterday. I just want to perform well in tomorrow’s match and win for the team. When I go to play the Duleep Trophy, I want to perform well. That’s all I can think about right now,” he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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