Exclusive: Tushar Deshpande Opens Up On His Dream IPL Debut, Ricky Ponting's Advice, And Shreyas Iyer's Key Role As The Delhi Capitals Skipper

Young Indian fast bowler Tushar Deshpande made his debut in the Indian Premier League  (IPL 2020). Tushar Deshpande was handed his maiden cap for Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday ahead of match 30 of IPL 2020 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Deshpande had a glorious debut for the Delhi-based franchise as he picked up a couple of wickets as Delhi cruised to their sixth win of the season.

One of Deshpande’s wickets included the deadly Ben Stokes as the former dismissed him on a crucial stage of the game when Stokes and Samson were leading Rajasthan to a comfortable victory. Eventually, the partnership was broken at a key moment and from thereon, Delhi counter-attacked Rajasthan and eventually won the game to go on top of the IPL 2020 points table.

Right after his debut, Tushar Deshpande has opened up on his maiden experience in the IPL and spoken about a lot more issues in an exclusive chat.

Tushar Deshpande Opens Up On His Debut For Delhi Capitals In IPL 2020

In an exclusive chat with CricketAddictor.com, Tushar Deshpande opened up on the moment when he was handed his maiden IPL cap by Ricky Ponting.

Tushar said, “Getting the maiden IPL cap from someone like Ricky Ponting is always a special moment. He is a legend of the game and the coach has rightly maintained that throughout his stint at the franchise. Ponting handed me the cap and the message was quite clear and concise, ‘All the best, just execute what you have been doing in the nets for all these days.'”

Tushar also spoke on Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy and the mannerism in which he has been leading the team so exceptionally in the tournament so far.

“Shreyas Iyer has been a very supportive captain for all of us, especially for someone like me, who is relatively quite young in the squad. He always likes to talk to the players and he has been an integral part in keeping the team together. There is a sense of happiness in the squad that is clearly visible on the field and that for me, is the mark of a truly great leader,” Tushar further said.

Tushar Deshpande Eyeing A Long Journey Ahead

Deshpande opened up on his IPL debut and reflected back on his performance. The young stalwart is already eyeing a long journey ahead as he goes on to speak in this chat.

“This performance (against Rajasthan Royals) is very special for me and I would like it to dedicate it to my mother who has been a key figure in my journey so far. This is just the start of a very long road ahead. I am extremely focused on my game at the moment, especially on the areas that I need to work on and hopefully, all the hard work will bear fruits in the days to come,” Tushar added.

Tushar Deshpande has been in the nurturing company of quite a lot of present and former legends in the Delhi Capitals franchise. One among them is his teammate, Kagiso Rabada. Tushar had some words for the Purple cap holder as to how Rabada has helped him so far in his journey.

“I have been asking quite a lot of things to Rabada over my time here and Rabada has been very helpful. He is always up for the advice to all the young players and hopefully, we combine to make a perfect team and go on to win the tournament,” Tushar Deshpande concluded.

Based on his performance in his maiden game, Delhi Capitals will surely love to entrust their confidence on Tushar and if he maintains his consistency, the young Indian pacer can go a long way.