Delhi Capitals’ Australian all-rounder Marcus Stonis, who guided his team win their opening match of this season’s Indian Premier League (IPl) against the Kings XI Punjab, has said that he wishes to express himself more in the upcoming days.
On Sunday, Stoinis played a blistering 21-ball knock of 53 runs and then bowled three dot balls in the last three deliveries of the 20th over of Punjab innings to force the match into a super over, where Delhi secured a thrilling win.
Having proved to be the game changer in both the innings, Stoinis has said his maturity played a role on the day. “I’ve come in with some confidence through good performances this year, but also maybe putting less responsibility on myself than some other years. Sometimes when you’re young and you’re in a rush, you want to do well and you’re trying so hard.”
“So I think this year I sort of just wanted to express myself and its only one game, so we’ll see, you can turn from a hero to a villain quickly, but yes, my focus is on just having a lot of fun and trust that I’ll be good,” he added.
The 31-year-old all-rounder also said that “going back to basics” has helped him. “I think everyone who plays cricket at this level, the main reason you play it is because you love it. You start playing when you’re a kid, and there’s so much travel, staying away from home and there’s obviously the pressures. But the main reason you do it is because you love what you do. That’s the main ingredient,” he added.
With 17 wickets and 526 runs under his belt in 30 IPL matches, things haven’t always gone according to plan for the Australian, but Stoinis said it is always a rewarding feeling to contribute to wins.
“There are a lot of games, as a professional sportsman, that you go out and you don’t perform as well as you want to. Cricket is that type of game – you sort of get used to underperforming a lot of the time. So when you do perform and you do well for the team, it’s a very rewarding feeling,” he said.
The limited-overs specialist also said that his team has a “really good vibe”. “With Ricky (Ponting) as a coach and as a leader, he sets that standard. We have a good core of young players, with lots of energy and some good experience. We’ve got some good overseas players too. So I think our balance on the whole, makes it an exciting group and we’ve got a good energy around the team,” Stoinis said.
Stoinis will look to maintain his form when Delhi Capitals take on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
With IANS inputs