T20 World Cup 2022: "IPL has changed my cricket and helped me evolve" - Marcus Stoinis on dominating Sri Lankan spinners
Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) for his transformation with the bat following a match-winning knock against Sri Lanka in Perth on Tuesday, October 25.
The 33-year-old believes that diversity in mindset, coaches, and players has played an integral role in upgrading his game.
The right-handed batter registered a 17-ball fifty, the fastest T20I half-century by an Australian against Sri Lanka as the defending champions picked up a much-needed win.
The all-rounder took spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshna to the cleaners as he hit six maximums and four boundaries for his 18-ball 59.
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17 rocks is all it took for Marcus Stoinis! #T20WorldCup https://t.co/5m4IJdN32j
When asked how effective the IPL has been after the swashbuckling knock, Stoinis underlined that the experience of playing for different teams in tournament history has helped a lot.
As quoted by Cricbuzz, the West Australian said in the press conference:
"Yeah, definitely the IPL has changed my cricket and helped me evolve. And it's not only playing on the wickets, it's having the coaches from all over the world, having players from different countries.
"I've played for quite a few years in the IPL and quite a few teams, so you come across a range of techniques and mentalities about how to play spin. Yeah, it has helped me improve for sure."
The veteran all-rounder walked in at the 13th over, with the match on a knife's edge as Australia lost three wickets while chasing 158. However, Stoinis, who played for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022, hardly took time to settle in and went after the bowlers immediately as the hosts won with 21 balls to spare.
"The intention was just to go put an impact on the game" - Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis further claimed that he felt nervous before going out to bat, but wanted to keep going once he got settled. He added:
"I was actually quite nervous, to be honest, so yeah, the intention was just to go put an impact on the game and probably provide a bit of energy for the boys and try and get a spark going.
"I mean, it was just batting and looking at a score, obviously, and then maybe towards the last couple of overs that I faced, I thought should I rein it in or should I keep going, but it's probably just the time; you just keep going."
Marcus Stoinis was named the “Player of the Match” for his blistering knock against Sri Lanka 🫡
#ausvsl #t20worldcup #cricket https://t.co/hWdF8bY44L
While Australia have boosted their net run rate following a seven-wicket win, they face an uphill challenge of beating England in Melbourne on October 28.