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Gautam Gambhir terms pink ball cricket ‘exciting’

Playing under lights and with a pink ball in Duleep Trophy is a brand new experience to the Indian cricketers.

Gautam Gambhir will captain India Blue © Getty Images
Gautam Gambhir will captain India Blue © Getty Images

All set to have a first-hand experience of pink ball cricket, India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has termed the new verse of the game as ‘exciting’. This year, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took a positive step towards accepting this new inclusion to cricket as they decided to use pink ball in the ongoing Duleep Trophy matches and also made them a day-night affair. Playing under lights and with a pink ball in Duleep Trophy is a brand new experience to the cricketers and ready to have a share of it, Gambhir said it is exciting and that a player must have his basics right to conquer the challenge posted by it. READ: Yuvraj , Uthappa, Patel state their experience of playing with pink ball

Talking to Hindustan Times, Gambhir said, “It (pink ball cricket) is very exciting, especially when lights are on. I am looking forward to it. I know the pink ball does move a bit, but as an opener I have to deal with it. That challenge is always there, even against the red SG or Kookaburra balls. However, as professional cricketers, we must be ready. And the spinners have to get used to gripping the pink ball.”

Gambhir, who leads the Delhi team in Ranji Trophy, will captain India Blue against India Red, who under Yuvraj Singh’s captaincy have won their first game.

“It comes down to mindset. The basics of the game remain the same. You still have to negotiate the new ball, and first session of first day is going to be crucial. I am not reading too much into it. Maybe the players were a bit nervous considering that it was the first day of the domestic season. Once the nerves go away and you hit the game mode, things do get easy. I haven’t seen the wicket yet, but having the right mindset is important,” Gambhir said.

“A lot of people have told me to focus on individual performance in Duleep Trophy. Well, that’s not going to happen under me. We will be playing as a team and to win the tournament. That’s the way cricket should be played,” he concluded.

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