IPL 7: I can't be a Maxwell or Miller, but can be a Kallis, says Pujara

SharjahCheteshwar Pujara still finding his feet in the Twenty20 formatknows that he cannot be flamboyant like some of his Kings XI Punjab teammates in the IPL but the Indian says he is hoping carve a niche for himself by emulating South African legend Jacques KallisPujara who opens the innings for Kings XI Punjab has proven himself as a Test performer but is still adjusting to the much faster T20 cricketIPL 7 Mad Max blows away Hyderabad as Kings XI score hattrick of winsCheteshwar Pujara Pic AFPI cannot be flamboyant like Glenn Maxwell or David Miller but I can always be a Jacques Kallis who plays proper cricketing shots but can still score runs at a good strike rate This is what I am looking for Pujara told the IPLs official website The basics of cricket remain the same irrespective of the format you play You have to hit the cricket ball at the end of the day I know how to play the cricket ball to the best of my abilitiesMy way of hitting may be classical where you try and time the ball In the T20 format you are required to hit it harder and find the gaps whenever possible It is just about finetuning your game rather than making changes in the way you play he said explaining his strategy to get into the T20 mouldKings XI Punjab have been in brilliant form this season winning all three of the games they have played so far The credit for that has mostly gone to Maxwell and Miller both of whom have been rampaging with the bat Even before the IPL started we always felt we had a very good team On paper the team was excellent but we had to execute things on the field We are happy with the way things have gone so far Three out of three is good and hope we can make five out of five in Dubai and then continue our momentum in India he saidWe have bighitters like Virender Sehwag Glenn Maxwell David Miller and George Bailey who can hit the ball long My role in the team is to stick at one end I intend to rotate the strike and hit the boundaries and go for the big shots as and when it is possible Pujara addedAsked about his experience of opening the batting with Sehwag Pujara said I speak a lot to Viru paa regarding my game not just in T20s but also in the longer format When I made my debut he was the one who gave me my Test cap From that time onwards he has been guiding me not just in Tests but he also tells me how to go about my game in ODIs and T20Is I chat with him about the IPL and he has been guiding me really wellOn whether he is adjusting well to the T20s Pujara said the process has been tough but smooth so far in T20s you have to be innovative and you dont get as much time to get settled and then start playing your shots In my case with the Kings XI Punjab I am opening the innings and I have to be ready to hit the ball from ballone or the very first over The job becomes a bit difficult but with time and few more matches I will get better I am getting better with each passing day Todays innings 35 off 32 balls was really good and I am really satisfied with the way I played With bighitters in the side I can play my role well and play within my limitations he saidPujara said it will take him some time to completely be at ease with the shortest format of the game Nothing can happen overnight I will get better and better as time progresses because then I will get to know my strengths and weaknesses I will know the areas I need to improve to get better in the T20 format With time I will be a good T20 player as well he said