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R. Sai Kishore discusses his breakthrough IPL season, finger-spinners in T20 cricket, competition for Indian team spots and more.

• Posted on June 29, 2025

In this year’s Indian Premier League, Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore finally had the breakthrough season he had been looking for. The 28-year-old has had to wait three years for regular game-time and grabbed his chances in 2025, scalping 19 wickets for Gujarat Titans. In this chat with The Hindu, the TN skipper discusses the IPL, finger-spinners in T20 cricket, the competition for spots in the Indian team, and more. Excerpts:

How satisfying was this year’s IPL?

I have been part of IPL for six or seven years, but have never had the opportunity to play a full season. So, very grateful for it. I do not have any attachment towards it. When you get a full season, you know your full potential, whether you can contribute or not. Otherwise, you are just [thinking of] permutations and combinations, whether I am good enough or not. After a full season, I feel very confident that I am ready to play at the highest level. The biggest realisation was that what I have is enough. Sometimes, when you are not competing, you don’t know whether what you have is enough or not. 

What was your approach this year?

I tried to stick to my basics, just as I would in any other tournament, such as the Mushtaq Ali, TNPL, or Ranji Trophy. If I execute my plans well, that’s more than enough. Sometimes in T20, you can’t buy wickets. So, wickets have to happen. I was very happy that the team also used me when the batsmen were trying to attack. And when I could just adapt to the situation, wickets were falling. So, very grateful for it.

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After your debut in 2022, you sat out 2023 because of the team combination and then an injury cut short your journey last year. How did you handle this phase?

In the first year [2022], I had a very good season. You wanted to build on it. You would expect things to just happen. But as time would have it, I think that also was for the good. It made me much more mature and understand my game. As a result, all those experiences occurred because of that break. So when this breakthrough season happened, I was more than ready mentally to handle it. They say the Chinese bamboo tree doesn’t grow for years, and suddenly, in one year, it grows. But for about six to seven years, the tree has been forming its roots and strengthening the foundations.

Tamil Nadu spinner R. Sai Kishore discusses his breakthrough IPL season, finger-spinners in T20 cricket, and competition for Indian team spots. | Source: The Hindu

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