Manan Vohra was one of the pillars of Kings XI Punjab batting lineup for many years in IPL. At one time, he was the only player retained by the KXIP franchise before an IPL auction. But as things change, he was released by KXIP and was picked by RCB in IPL 2018 auctions.
Sportskeeda.com caught up with Manan Vohra for a tête-à-tête and here are the excerpts from the interview.
"I didn't have a particular franchise in mind, was just hoping to be picked by any of them. The auction was going all crazy before my name came up, so I just kept a positive mindset," he said about the IPL 2018 auction.
"As far as my batting is concerned, I'm working on my shot-selection which I think has been a concern for a couple of years now," he added.
Manan Vohra is remembered for his valiant 95 against SRH in IPL 2017, an innings that saw him fulfill his potential to the core and putting him in contention for a team India berth. The opener has put particular emphasis on is fitness, an important criterion for any international athlete today.
"I have been working more on my fitness as it is very important to last a T20 season. You got to be fit to provide the team everything they need with the bat and in the field as fielding is of paramount importance in the shortest format," he said.
With Virat Kohli opening for RCB and other options like Quinton de Kock and Parthiv Patel added to RCB squad as potential openers, Vohra might not get to open this time and he said, "I'm trying to stay positive because if there is a lot of competition in the team itself, that brings the best out of you. We'll have some practice games during the camp, so it will be a good opportunity for me to perform and build my confidence for the season."
"The team has a lot of legendary international players, so I'm looking forward to learning from them and be consistent in the format. Their work ethics, how they prepare themselves for the game, (I will be following everything closely)," said the Punjab batsman, who will be playing for RCB for the first time.
"I'm trying not to look as far, obviously my ultimate aim is to make it to the Indian team. For the time being, yes, I have gathered a lot of experience from the IPL and now I think this is the right place where I can bring all my experience to the fore and be consistent. I would just like to give my best for the team," Vohra said about his chances for the senior team.
Vohra said, "Obviously, there is a cushion when you know you have game changers like ABD and Virat following you, that would allow me to play freely. If I get an opportunity, I'd try and play my natural game and hopefully, things will go well."
