‘Bas enjoy kar. Zyada pressure mat le’ (Just enjoy. Don’t take too much pressure). These were the words of advice from Virender Sehwag that Shivam Sharma went with in his first IPL match. Off his ninth delivery, he got the ball to turn away from Yuvraj Singh and got an outside edge off his bat that was sharply and aptly caught by Sehwag at first slip. That wicket was special for the 20-year-old off-spinner from Delhi for various reasons. It was obviously his maiden IPL scalp. Then, it was of one of India’s biggest limited overs match-winners – one whom Shivam has admired since he was a young boy. But the most special aspect was what preceded the wicket. It wasn’t a one-off successful delivery, but the climax to the previous six balls of deceiving turn, awkward bounce and a close lbw appeal. What made that wicket special was that Shivam had earned it. Eventually, he finished with 4-0-26-2 (also dismissing Albie Morkel) as Kings XI Punjab continued on their merry way to victory, beating RCB by 32 runs. In a post-match interview with iplt20.com, the debutant shared his first IPL experience.

Here are excerpts from his exclusive chat: Perfect IPL debut? Yes, I was told how to bowl and I tried to do that. I tried to keep it on one line and bowled a little slower than usual as I was told that the ball will grip a bit, which it did. I had a lot of fun. When were you told that you’re playing today and how did you prepare yourself? I was told today in the morning. Since then, I tried to stay focused. I kept myself well hydrated, rested a bit and relaxed my mind for the big occasion. What was the plan while bowling to Yuvraj Singh? I had decided that instead of trying too much at the risk of getting it wrong, I will let him make a mistake. Fortunately, he did and I got him out. Viru bhaiya and (George) Bailey, both told me that he has a problem when spinners bowl the middle and off-stump line to him, and I did just that. AB de Villiers hit you for a couple of sixes and fours. What lesson did you learn from that? I tried my best to bowl straight to him without giving him any room. You are bound to get hit for a couple of big shots when bowling to a player like him. I didn’t get too disheartened, but realised that I will have to be very tight and accurate if I were to succeed against batsmen like him. I got a good taste of what top-level hitting is all about. Do you train in the nets by bowling to the likes of Maxwell, Miller and Sehwag? Yes, and when it comes to Maxwell, it is a nightmare to bowl to him. I don’t ever understand where to bowl to him. He will hit you anywhere, anyhow with the reverse-sweep and all other kind of shots. Wo paagal banda hai (He is a mad guy). But there are many advantages of bowling to him because it makes me think of new tricks to get the better of him and it helps me improvise on my own bowling. What did Viru pa tell you ahead of your first game? Just one thing, ‘Bas enjoy kar. Zyada pressure mat le’ (Just enjoy. Don’t take too much pressure). Which wicket was more special – Yuvraj or Morkel? I enjoyed Yuvi pa’s wicket. It was my first IPL wicket and it was a big player like him.