T20 isn’t just about picking up wickets, states Rajasthan Royals’ Tabraiz Shamsi

Some extraordinary performances in the last couple of years have seen South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi’s stock rise. Shamsi is now the number one ranked bowler in the world in T20Is with the 31-year-old certainly at the peak of his career. The left-arm leg spinner has joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the remainder of the IPL 2021 season and believes his team can challenge for the trophy.

“I think whether the team is at the first spot or the fifth, the position at the halfway mark doesn’t really count. It’s what you do in the second half that matters. So, I think we’re in a good position right now and we’ve got half a tournament to play, so it depends on how we play the rest of the games. The mood in the camp looks really nice so I don’t see any reason why we can’t go on to win the competition,” stated Shamsi, who is currently in quarantine having arrived from Sri Lanka earlier this week as quoted by RR’s official website.

“I’m really looking forward to the experience with a new team. What’s really, really exciting is just the vibe that I’ve picked up, from not just the players but also the management. The overall feeling in the Rajasthan camp is amazing – I’ve played for a few teams around the world, but I haven’t experienced something like this before. I’m generally someone who tries to bring a very positive vibe to the team environment – whether it’s speaking to other bowlers, players, or just cracking a joke or two in the changing room to lighten up the mood. I’m a big believer in ‘a happy team is a team that performs better’. So that is something I try to do with my national team as well, and I will try to bring that here as well,” he added.

“There are certain things you can’t control”

Shamsi admitted that he was certainly affected by the limited interest in his services among IPL franchises.

“In the past when I was younger, it (not getting picked) did affect me a little bit. But as you grow older, you realize there are bigger things in life. You understand that there are certain things you can’t control, and I was certainly in that space. I feel like I just have to do my work, and if a team feels I can benefit them with my services, they would pick me like Rajasthan has, and I‘m going to try my best to make sure that we win the competition,” stated the South African.

“I’m actually somebody who likes watching all the games I can. I like to watch other players and see how they play, and try to pick up on one or two things – stuff that I can implement in my game – which other spinners are doing well, and also study the batsman a bit. And obviously Chris Morris and David Miller have been with RR for quite a bit, so I’ve always ended up watching a game or two whenever my schedule has permitted,” added Shamsi.