Vipraj Nigam aims to repeat success against Virat Kohli in IPL clash

Delhi Capitals spinner Vipraj Nigam said his domestic and India A experience helped improve his game ahead of the IPL season. He expressed confidence in tackling Virat Kohli and highlighted strong team support despite recent losses

Hyderabad: ’Fearless Prodigy’ Vipraj Nigam has become a vital player in the Delhi Capitals side, forming a lethal spin trio with captain Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

Speaking on the ‘JioStar Press Room’ ahead of his side’s Rivalry Week match against RCB, Nigam shared his thoughts on DC’s season so far, his improvements as a player, and his strategy against Virat Kohli.

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“There are a lot of changes which I can see. I played the entire domestic season for Uttar Pradesh and also played India A matches. So, learning from the IPL last year, I took those lessons back to domestic cricket. India A was another huge learning experience and great exposure to a new dressing room, some new players, and some of India’s top players already playing international cricket,” Vipraj said.

“Sharing the dressing room with them, learning a few new skills, and trying to add a few to my skill set was a good experience. So, in all the tournaments I played before coming into the IPL, and during the practice sessions, I tried to apply that.”

“Axar Patel, KL Rahul, the entire coaching staff, I have never felt that someone is treating me like I am inexperienced or lack skills. From last year till now, in all the matches I have played, everyone has always backed me and helped me learn how to react in pressure situations and how to be more involved in the game. I could always go back and talk to them and clear things if I had any doubts. So, everyone has been really supportive.”

“If you look at Virat Kohli, against world-class players, the margin of error is very small. You know that even if you err a little, you will go for runs, even on good balls. So, the plan is very simple, just execute, not just against Virat, but against the whole team. The attempt will be to repeat what happened last year. Pressure is always there,” Vipraj said.

“For players like Virat, I feel the strategy and whatever you plan should always be adaptable because whatever you have planned before the game could count for nothing, as the pressure during the match is completely different. So, just stick to what has worked and try to get them out for the lowest score possible.”

“Before the last season also, I had expressed my desire to get Virat Kohli’s wicket, and it happened in the very next game. It was a dream come true. I went to meet Virat bhai after the match and asked him what else I could add to my bowling and to my all-round game, because we all know how the game is changing every year, how batting has gone to a different level in T20 cricket, and how the wickets are. He just said there was no need to change anything skill-wise, just keep learning new things and find ways to add those to my batting as well as bowling and keep getting better,” he explained.

“The morale is still high. Yes, we lost the last two games, but we analysed where we went wrong and the mistakes we made. We have almost a week since our last game, so we have had time to work on those areas we need to improve and hopefully come back stronger from the next game onwards. The team environment is also very good. All the senior players, coaching staff, and everyone have given the players the freedom to express themselves. So, no one is feeling that pressure, because we know we are playing good cricket, but just need those little improvements,” Vipraj said.