Both Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill have backed me: Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi. (Source – BCCI)

Young spinner Ravi Bishnoi emerged as the star performer in India’s second T20I victory against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele Stadium on Sunday. The leg-spinner’s impressive figures of 3/26 not only secured him the Player of the Match award but also played a crucial role in India taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Bishnoi’s success on the spin-friendly track comes as no surprise, given the backing he has received from the team’s leadership. In the post-match press conference, the spinner was quick to acknowledge the support of captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill.

“Suryakumar is doing great captaincy. I have played under him during the Australia series as well. He has been good. Shubman Gill’s captaincy was also great. In Zimbabwe, he also did great as a captain. They always back me and as a bowler, you cannot ask for anything more than this when the captain backs you. Suryakumar and Shubman have both backed me,” Bishnoi said as quoted by India Today.

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I am sharing a great bond with Gautam Gambhir: Ravi Bishnoi

The series against Sri Lanka marks the beginning of a new era for Indian cricket, with Yadav taking up the T20I captaincy duties and Gautam Gambhir being the newly appointed head coach. Bishnoi’s relationship with Gambhir which began during their time together at Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, has seamlessly transitioned into the national setup.

“I am sharing a great bond with Gautam Gambhir as he has been with LSG for two years. He has not asked me to change anything as such. He has told me to do what I am doing currently. His advice was useful to me earlier as well, and now too,” he added.

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Bishnoi’s performance is particularly noteworthy given Sri Lanka’s reputation for playing spin well. However, the spinner observed a shift in the opposition’s approach during the match.

“They play spin really well, but I don’t know what has happened to them. They collapsed between the middle overs, and they were known as a good spin-playing team, but I think something has gone wrong,” Bishnoi concluded.

The visitors will take on the host nation for the third and final T20I on July 30 at the same venue. After the T2I0s, both sides are scheduled to lock horns in a three-match ODI series with Rohit Sharma wearing the captain’s hat.