I never knew it was the hat-trick ball, says Lyca Kovai Kings' MK Siva Kumar

Lyca Kovai Kings’ MK Siva Kumar addressed the media after his team registered an easy nine-wicket win over Albert Tuti Patriots in their India Cements TN Premier League game at Chepauk on Wednesday. His hat-trick ensured a batting collapse as Patriots folded up for a paltry 95.

What was going on in your mind before the hat-trick ball?

This is my first hat-trick. I didn’t think about it when I was bowling because I didn’t know it was the hat-trick ball! Only after I got the wicket did I realise that I had gotten a hat-trick!

What advice did your teammates give you?
Syed Mohammed (captain) and Monk (Murali Vijay) gave me useful tips and they encouraged me.

Would it have been better to take four wickets?

I would have been happy if I got another wicket but then it turned out to be a run-out!

Thoughts on your fielding...
We had a three-day break and we had two fielding sessions with Lance Klusener, Hemant Kumar and R Prasanna. The end result was evident.

What tips did Lance Klusener give you?
He has given a lot of useful tips to us. It’s limited but useful. He gives us tips based on the wicket.

How does it feel to take a hat-trick on your home ground?
I’m really feeling very happy!

How are you going to prepare for your next match?
Expectations will be high for the next match so we have to be ready.

Were you surprised that Patriots won the toss and opted to bat first?
Not really. Even if we had won the toss we would have opted to bat. It was a good batting wicket. You just had to mix the speed while bowling and you could do well. We produced good pressure.

Why did Murali Vijay not open the batting?
We had planned earlier that he will not open. It was a team strategy.

What are your thoughts on the Chennai crowd?
It was a decent crowd. The fact that the tournament helps the local players is a good sign. There are a lot of unknown players and the fact that people come to watch them bodes well for us.