By: BCCI
Gurkeerat Singh Mann’s rise in the in the legions of India’s domestic cricket over the last two years has been noteworthy. He has scored runs across all formats and also won a few matches with his off-spin skills. For someone who only recently made a transition from being a top-order batsman who can roll his arm over to a genuine all-rounder, his numbers are impressive.
The 25-year-old Punjab all-rounder has been vital to the success of his team in last and current season of the Ranji Trophy, scoring 449 and 677 runs respectively. His recent performances for India A – a match-winning 87 against Australia A in the tri-series final in August, and a double of a century and a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh A – earned him the call-up to the national team for the recently concluded home series against South Africa.
He did not get a game then, but now, as he embarks on his first overseas tour as a part of the Indian team, Gurkeerat is brimming with excitement of what lies ahead. In this chat with BCCI.TV, he talks about the journey that has brought him to the doors of international cricket.
You will be on your first international tour with Team India. These are exciting times in your career, aren’t they?
Seriously. I am so happy that it is an Australian tour – it is one of the best places to tour. They are the best ODI team in the world. It is going to be a huge learning curve for me; the experience I will gain will be massive at this stage of my career. During this IPL, I asked Viru (Virender Sehwag) paaji once which wickets he liked to bat the most on. And he said that for batting, Australia has the best wickets in the world. I was recalling his words after I found out I am going there. It has put me in a positive frame of mind with regards to my batting.
You have had a taste of being with the Indian team, during the South Africa home series. Was it a good apprenticeship for you?
Yes, it was a great experience for me to be part of the Indian team. I learned a lot of things from the senior players and it gave me a lot of confidence. Right now for me it is all about how much I can learn and grow as a cricketer. I had a word on batting with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. They gave me useful tips. Like Mahi bhai, I bat in the middle order, and so I spoke to him about finishing games. From Virat, it was about inculcating the attitude that he carries on the field. It was a good mix of knowledge overall from various players. I feel like now I am prepared for the big stage.
You have had two excellent domestic seasons across all formats. Is this the best form you have been in so far?
For a batsman it is all about the feel, and I am feeling really good about my batting and myself in general. Before a big tour it is very important to have that positive feeling from within. And I am glad that I am going with that mindset.
Do you now consider yourself as a genuine all-rounder or still a batsman who can bowl a bit?
Earlier I was a batsman who could bowl a little, but now I have been bowling a lot in the domestic circuit in all three formats. I have gained a lot of confidence in my bowling. I think now you can call me a genuine all-rounder.
Talk about that transition from being a top-order batsman to an all-rounder.
In my first season with Punjab I batted at three and kept wickets. After that we had a new coach, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Sr., who was a selector at the district level when I played there. He had seen me bowl there and felt that my bowling would be beneficial to the team. He suggested that I move a little down the batting order and chip in with the ball. I was happy to do it because it was for the team.
The mindset required to bat at three and five is different. How did you adapt?
In the beginning when I started to bat in the middle-order, it was tough. Suddenly I was faced with the pressure that comes with batting in the final overs, and finishing the games. I spoke a lot with Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) paaji in that regards and he taught me how to take the game along from that situation. On many occasions we batted together and that first-hand experience of playing that role along with him came in very handy. Slowly, I started to get the hang of things on my own and settled into that role.
Talk a bit more about your relationship with Yuvraj, since you play such similar roles within the team.
He has shared everything he knows with me since the time I got into the Punjab team. We share a very crucial partnership because if one of us gets out, the tail starts. He would keep feeding me with important information and advice on how to cut down the risk factor, calculate it based on how many overs each bowler has left, and plan the innings in such a way that you can take it to a position from where you will get the team home.
When batting in the middle-order, you have to be reactive as a batsman and adapt quickly. One of those aspects is batting with the tail.
I had to work on that aspect but it helped that at the district level, I often batted with the tail in almost every match. That experience is helping me a lot now. Now I have reached a place where I am more comfortable batting with the tailenders. Batting at five or six is more about mental adaptability. And that comes gradually, with playing more and more matches at that position.
Talk about your growth and development as a spinner. Are you wilier now?
I try to fox the batsman but sometimes he is smarter than me. I try to bowl within myself and cut down the boundary opportunities. Bowling with discipline is what I have been focusing on right now.
When you were with the Indian team, did you have any conversation on spin bowling with R Ashwin?
I did. We discussed a few points about my bowling speed and the variation I need to bring in. I have been practising that in the nets – I haven’t played many matches after that, but now I will look to implement those things in the Vijay Hazare knockouts.
Did you ask Ashwin to teach you how to bowl any particular delivery to add to your repertoire?
No, right now I am a bit fearful that if I try to add too many things to my bowling, I might end up ruining it for myself. Ashwin has a wealth of knowledge and hopefully, when I settle down more as a bowler and we get some more time together, I would love to learn certain tricks from him.
