The entire 2 months’ journey was memorable: Nalkande

 

Vidarbha pacer Darshan Nalkande cherishes gujarat titans’ IPL title victory

By Paritosh Pramanik

THE golden confetti was spread all over. Gujarat Titans cricketers hugged each other and pumped their fists to celebrate their IPL title over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. 

So did pacer Darshan Nalkande. It was a dream come true for the Vidarbha fast bowler who donned the Gujarat Titans Blue after being picked by the new franchise for a 

base price.

He might have played just two games but Nalkande felt he was part of the playing XI for all the 16 matches Gujarat Titans’ played in this IPL.

Nalkande played a couple of games and impressed all with his pace. For the records, the Akola-based bowler played against Sunrisers Hyderabad at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and against Punjab Kings at Brabourne where he took two wickets.

The early victories set the tempo for the Titans and they marched on the victory path to conquer the peak.

Nalkande said the entire two months with the team are unforgettable. He said he would like to cherish each and every moment, not just the final victory.

“It’s yet to sink in. What a memorable two months. And when it ends in this fashion, it gets more beautiful,” said Nalkande of the title victory. 

“The entire two months’ journey was memorable. It was my first IPL and also for Gujarat Titans. It was also for the first time that Hardik bhai was leading a bunch of new guys. There are many moments to cherish but the best would be this maiden title victory on debut. Yes, another best part was that we, as a team, stuck together, in highs and lows and everyone backed each other. We celebrated each others’ success and shared their lows,” Nalkande said while talking with ‘The Hitavada’ over phone from Ahmedabad where the team will be staying for the next few days, attending functions.

Nalkande said that the positiveness in the dressing room helped all in winning crunch matches. “The coaches created the best environment around the team and there was a very healthy atmosphere. The dressing room atmosphere was very positive and I think that positiveness helped us in the crunch matches. The dressing room taught me how to stay calm and positive in crunch situations. That helped the team in winning the matches and eventually the coveted title,” Nalkande proudly said.

On his interaction and what he learned from India pacer and Gujarat Titans’ coach Ashish Nehra, Nalkande said, “Nehra sir kept it very simple. He taught me how to bowl in match situations, how to handle the pressure and how to read the batsmen. His minute tips helped me a lot as a bowler. He explained to me how to set the batsmen, how to prepare before the match days. Those hard yards we put during the practice helped us in lifting the trophy,” said Nalkande.

Despite playing only two matches, the Vidarbha pacer said he had no regrets of not getting more chances during the tournament and added that he felt he was part of the playing XI throughout the tournament.

“I have no regrets at all for not playing more than a couple of matches. I enjoyed every moment and above all I gained a lot of experience during the tournament, whether I was in the playing XI or not. I supported all my team members and there was no feeling of being left out. I felt that I was part of playing XI throughout the tournament,” he added.

Nalkande was impressed with the way captain Pandya presented himself throughout the tournament, on and off the field.“Hardik bhai is a very calm person. At the same time he is very hardworking and backs the youngsters right from Day One. I still remember the first day I joined the Gujarat Titans for a camp at Baroda. He (Hardik) was very friendly and talked with me very openly like old friends. He made me feel very comfortable. Even during matches, Hardik bhai supported me to the full and never let the pressure overtake me in my first match. He always gave me positive feedback. Even when I was making some mistakes he used to correct me in a very calm and cordial manner,” stated Nalkande.

“‘Don’t worry about bowling a bad ball. Just bowl according to the plan and to your strength’. When you get such support from your captain you automatically get pumped up and give your 100 per cent,” added the Vidarbha pacer.

Nalkande’s phone is flooded with WhatsApp. His phone has been ringing since Sunday night. He had a brief chat with his parents in Akola but it was too short.

“There are hundreds of WhatsApp messages. I replied to a few but there are many more and they still continue to come in. I had a very brief talk with my family back in Akola but will talk to them freely when we return from Chief Minister’s (Bhupendra Patel) House,” Nalkande signed off.