Ryan Rickelton: Ashwani Kumar is Much Quicker Than People Realize

Mumbai, April 1 (PTI): Ashwani Kumar, the Mumbai Indians' unheralded fast bowler who became the first Indian to capture four wickets on his IPL debut, is "a lot quicker than people recognise at first," according to colleague Ryan Rickelton.

The left-arm Punjab seamer took 4/24 on Monday to defeat the Kolkata Knight Riders as the Mumbai Indians won by eight wickets and moved up to sixth place in the points table.

"He's a lot quicker than I think people realise at first, which is a great attribute he has, and he can swing the new ball," Rickelton told the reporters following the encounter at the Wankhede Stadium.

"He's much faster than you realize, and he rushes you a little lower as well.  He's a terrific addition to the group, and the wicket will suit him."

"I'm looking forward to seeing if he gets an opportunity with the new ball to showcase his other set of skills.  He's a wonderful catch for MI, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he progresses," he continued.

Rickelton praised the Punjab seamer, who had only played four senior T20 matches, four List A matches, and two Ranji Trophy games prior to his IPL debut, for carrying out his plans flawlessly.

"I've played a few warm-up games with him, keeping wickets for him and batting in the nets.  He's a great bowler.  "He can swing the new ball, and he executed his plan extremely well," he added.

"The group is very thrilled for him.  But, certainly, it's great that he got this opportunity.  "The group is very pleased that he was able to get out of the match performance," he continued.

Ramandeep Singh of KKR, who is also from Punjab and practices at the same institute as Ashwani, described him as a "talented cricketer."

"Ashwani is a highly skilled cricketer who hails from Punjab.  This IPL is known for attracting young players and allowing them to showcase their talent," he remarked.

Meanwhile, Rickelton said reaching his first half-century was a huge relief.  The left-handed South African wicketkeeper-batsman struck 62 not out from 41 balls, including five sixes and four fours.

"Obviously a huge relief, in all honesty.  The first two games were played on tricky (and) rough wickets.  But coming out here in Mumbai and having Spencer (Johnson) turn me inside out was a difficult battle to overcome," he admitted.

"But once I got past it, it was incredibly satisfying to receive a score.  But, more than anything, getting two points on the board is fantastic for the team."

Rickelton stated that having previously attended the MI camp (he played for MI Cape Town in the SA20 league) provided him with valuable experience.

"This has been a good introduction.  It is not simply coming in blind.  It has been a smoother adjustment, but the IPL is a different beast altogether.  To mentally process that is a bit of a challenge for me, so I'm simply adjusting to the group, and thankfully, there are a few familiar folks around.  "It makes the transition easier," he explained.

Speaking further about the pressure in the IPL, the South African player stated that it is entirely different.

"A year ago, you turned on the television and saw teams getting 260, and you assumed it was a free for all.  But when you get here, it's not so easy; each ground has its own set of qualities, so the pressure factor is high internally, but massive externally."

"You're playing with some of the world's finest players, not just on this squad but across the country.  That added pressure is there, and it's difficult, I won't lie.

"Just trying to find my way through that and try to adjust my game in order to give me the best chance of being successful for the team," according to him.