I'm very motivated : Ranadeb Bose

01 May, 2009 | KXIP NEWS SERVICE

The IPL season II is finally on and we are all thrilled to be a part of one of the greatest shows on earth. Initially, everyone was unsure about the tournament, however, its great news that the tournament is alive and kicking. As a new member of the Kings XI Punjab squad, this will provide me with a fantastic opportunity to rub shoulders with a host of Indian and international stars.

Moving from KKR to KXIP, there is that wee bit of pressure on me to perform. However, that is all the motivation I need, as I would like to prove myself through my performances on the field. As a fast bowler, my aim is to bowl the maximum number of dot balls per game thus stemming the flow of runs. Stopping runs, I feel, would naturally fetch me wickets as well. So, 15-16 dot balls out of my quota of 4 overs would ensure a pretty satisfactory performance.

As always, the IPL would give me a great opportunity to share the dressing room with professional cricketers both from India and abroad. This can be a great learning experience for someone like me. Some of the players who were relatively new faces last year have now gone onto become national heroes. I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside and against some of them on the domestic circuit, however, this is huge! It would be fascinating interacting and playing alongside them.

A lot of people have asked me whether I would find it difficult to motivate myself while playing against Kolkata. I would only like to add that I am a professional and give my 100 per cent to every team of which I’m a part. I’m pretty focused and pumped to perform to the best of my ability and prove to everybody that I belong in the highest level.

I’m also part of a team now that loves to win. We have a strong mix of talented individuals who are all match winners in their own right and there’s no reason why we can’t go all the way this time around. In fact, I have a strong belief that this year, it will be the Kings XI team that will lift the IPL trophy come May 24.

But, apart from that, this tournament will showcase the best of international talent on a truly global stage. For us, I’m really keen to see how Sangakkara and Bret Lee shape up for the tournament. These two have been phenomenal performers for their respective sides and will be crucial to our success. Besides them, there’s also Irfan Pathan who is excellent with both bat and ball and Piyush Chawla, who’s a fresh and exciting talent. Being a part of the same team as them would give me an insight into the processes that these cricketers go through in approaching crunch games. I’m sure it’ll do me a world of good as a professional.

Along with all the other teams that would pose a challenge to us, I believe that Kolkata have a quality squad and facing them will be a big task. Although, they will be missing Ricky Ponting’s services, players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Ishant Sharma are players who can be a handful for any side. Delhi and Rajasthan are also very strong sides and will be tough to beat.

Having said that, I’m really upbeat about the tournament and our chances of emerging as eventual winners. I’m also looking forward to meeting Bret Lee. His aggression, body language, his fitness is amazing. He’s 32 and he still has a lot to offer. I am keen to know about all aspects of his game including training. Irfan Pathan is a good friend and I am also looking to learn a lot from him. So, all in all, I can’t wait for it to start.