Indian bowler Shivam Mavi on Saturday opened up about the relationship he and the rest of the players have with Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra.
“He gives us freedom, he lets us use our time properly on the ground and if you want rest he will allow it. He is like a friend, if you want something you can go and ask him. Sometimes players don’t feel like practising on the ground.
In such situations, he doesn’t burden us…he keeps the environment light,” Mavi said at a Gujarat Titans press conference. Mavi, 24, has been part of India team led by Hardik Pandya. He also played under Hardik’s captaincy for Gujarat Titans in the previous season of the IPL.
“I am very excited to play for Gujarat Titans. Hardik is a very cool captain. He backs up youngsters who are new to the team. The environment is very friendly. So when a youngster steps in such an environment it is a good thing for him and he is able to perform better,” Mavi said.
“When I played under him for India for the first time…he was very supportive… support is a very important factor and if the captain supports you it feels very good. It is in the hands of the captain and management to create a good atmosphere. You can see that a team performs well if the atmosphere is good,” Mavi continued.
Mavi featured for IPL title defenders on six occasions and during this period he picked up five wickets with an economy of 10.32. He will be keen to leave his mark in this IPL to pave his way to the Indian squad. As the Indian fast bowling line up continues to go see changes, Mavi has an opportunity to find his place in the upcoming series before the World Cup. Gujarat Titans will face Chennai Super Kings on March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.