The new pace sensation of J&K and Mumbai Indian’s recruit for Indian Premier League (IPL)-2019 season, Rasikh Salam Dar is in Mumbai these days getting ready for the upcoming grueling J&K T20 and Mumbai Indian’s IPL campaign.
The 17-year old pacer who hails from Kulgam district of J&K was picked up by Mumbai Indian’s for its team during IPL player’s auction on December 18-2018. From last more than two weeks now, Rasikh Salam has been in Mumbai with Mumbai Indian’s team, honing his basic skills under the expert guidance of the coaches and trainers at state of art facility.
There is still long time for the official pre-season coaching camp of IPL teams, and it was not a mandatory one for the pacer to join the team early. However, to sharpen his skills and get his fitness levels better, Rasikh Salam opted to join the camp.
In the camp, Rasikh under the Mumbai Indian experts has been focusing on his fitness that includes Strength and conditioning apart from the basic bowling skills. All the high profile coaches and trainers are yet to join the team but Rasikh has been taking all the benefit of time left to get familiarized with the latest methodology and technology involved in the game. He has been training under, Physiotherapist Nitin Patel, Conditioning and Strengthening coach Prateek Kadam, and other experts. He is also gaining the experiencing of been in big team under the Mumbai Indian’s team manager Rahul Sanghvi
“It is has been new learning experience being here at top class facility and under experts who are really helpful,” said Rasikh Salam.
“I had option to stay at home or join the conditioning and fitness focused camp with Mumbai Indian’s. I opted to be here and it has helped me a lot. The weather conditions in Kashmir were not helpful for the cricket based training neither there was any event in which I had to represent J&K. So I opted to be here,” he said.
About the focus of his training in the camp, he said, “It is not the main pre-season coaching camp in which all the players and support staff gets involved. That will begin one month before the league and in this camp mostly youngsters are training at Mumbai Indian’s facility. The focus is on conditioning, strength, fitness as well as regular bowling practice”.
“Every now and then big players step in the facility and we also get to learn from their tips and suggestions,” he said.
Rasikh Salam came into limelight when he was spotted by Irfan Pathan during talent hunt in Srinagar. The J&K mentor cum player directly inducted him into senior players training camp and practice matches. Rasikh took hat-trick there and then was taken to Hyderabad tour of J&K team. Not having played at any level for J&K, Rasikh directly debuted for J&K in Vijay Hazare One-Day trophy and then recently went on to make his Ranji Trophy debut as well. He also represented J&K Under-19 last year.
Rasikh Salam was recently also named in J&K T20 shortlist of 25 players for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 and he said that he will join team on the instructions of the team management.
“I have been named in the squad but team management has asked me to stay in the camp as here I get better facility to get my skills right. While as back home we don’t have such facilities’. I will be joining rest of the team when I will be asked for,” he added.
J&K Cricket team official said, that it is better for Rasikh to prepare in Mumbai rather than in Jammu where conditions and facilities are no match for the facility at Mumbai.
“If a player who has been picked by Mumbai Indian’s for IPL is getting the option of using world class facility and train under top experts, we will recommend that. He is talented bowler and we are sure he may have improved as a bowler also improved his fitness. The new things in bowling that he will be learning on bowling there will help us in the T20 campaign.
Mumbai India are multiple times IPL champion owned by Nita Ambani. Rohit Sharma is the captain of the franchisee while as Sachin Tendulkar is its icon. Mahela Jayawardene is head coach while as Zaheer Khan as Director Cricket. Robin Singh is batting coach and Shane Bond as bowling coach.