20 April,2011 08:05 AM IST | | Agni Pandey
From warming the bench to being the team's leading wicket-taker. It has been a season of dramatic transformation for left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla. With five wickets from four matches, at an impressive average of 16.40, Mumbai-based Abdulla has been a utility man for Kolkata Knight Riders.
"The last three years I was not getting many chances to play. Maybe, one of the reasons was that Murali Kartik was playing.
"I was sad at that time. But this year, all of a sudden, the entire scenario has changed. I am also hungrier than ever. Things have clicked," Abdulla told MiD DAY yesterday.
Iqbal said that one of the reasons for the change in fortunes for him was the backing he has received from captain Gautam Gambhir.
"Gauti (Gambhir) said, 'bindas khel. Don't worry. Just do your job. I'm with you.' That's it! After that I started playing with an absolutely free mind. I have not felt any kind of pressure," Abdulla said on the eve of the match against Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
Such has been the 21-year-old's confidence that he has comfortably handled the task of opening the bowling.
In fact, his best figures of 3-24 this season came against Deccan Chargers when he shared the new ball with Laxmipathy Balaji.
u00a0"If you have the captain's faith, then automatically you get a lot of energy. You feel more motivated. That's what happened to me this year. Now, my self-belief is very high," Abdulla said.
He added that the experience of opening the bowling in a local tournament back home in Mumbai kept him in good stead. "It is a different kind of challenge and pressure as well. But I am used to it.
"I used to bowl with the new ball in the DY Patil T20 tournament and that has helped me with the KKR. I also used to bowl in thepowerplay for Mumbai," he said.
