Ravi Bishnoi has revealed how Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has inculcated a culture of flexibility among the team’s spinners, telling them always to be ready to bowl in the powerplay. The young leg-spinner played a significant role in India’s 15-run victory over England at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune in the fourth T20I. Though he did not take the Player of the Match award, his figures of 4-0-33-3 were decisive in winning and sealing the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Ravi Bishnoi, who reached the No.1 spot in T20I bowling rankings in 2023, was once again at his best as he dismissed key English batters Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer. His impact was crucial in restricting England to 166 in 19.4 overs, which made India defend the total successfully.
Interestingly, it wasn’t the first time that Bishnoi had been given powerplay duties in the series; he had also bowled early in the second T20I at Chepauk. Speaking to Disney+ Hotstar, Bishnoi revealed how the team approached the game, under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership.
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“Surya bhai told me to always be prepared. Axar (Patel), Varun (Chakravarthy), and I have all been used in the powerplay, and we need to be ready whenever called upon,” he said. Ravi Bishnoi provided insight into how he outfoxed Ben Duckett, who had raced to 39 off just 19 balls, hammering seven fours and a six.

The left-hander, alongside Phil Salt, had given England a blistering start with a 62-run partnership. However, Bishnoi’s tactical awareness helped him find a breakthrough.
“Duckett prefers playing square of the wicket rather than straight. So, I just tried to cut his scoring areas and forced him to play straight drives, which aren’t his strength,” Ravi Bishnoi explained. Buttler, England’s captain, is famous for his power-hitting against spinners. Now, Buttler has played extensively in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he must be acquainted with subcontinental conditions pretty well. In my opinion, Buttler is the top quality spin player.
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He has been around for years in this country. He’s having a good IPL experience that goes to his aid. He’s one of the toughest batsmen to face while bowling in such conditions,” says Bishnoi. With the series already won, India will look to finish on a high when they face England in the fifth and final T20I at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, February 2.