Interview with Mumbai Indians' new T20 sensation Ben Dunk: "Reverse-sweeps and ramps are not for me; I have the power to clear infield"

Ben Dunk – the Big Bash League 2013-14 Player of the Tournament is all set for his first IPL season with Mumbai Indians.

Coming April, this Australian ‘Hurricane’ will look to make its presence felt on what is the biggest T20 cricket platform in the world. Ben Dunk, who was bought by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2014 auctions, is already looking forward to his IPL debut after some barnstorming performances in the Big Bash League earlier this year.

Dunk, in his very first game of the BBL season for Hobart Hurricanes, smashed 50 off 20 balls against Brisbane Heat, to score the fastest fifty in tournament history. Carrying on with the momentum, the Queenslander went on to rack up 391 runs at an average of 43.88. Although his team had to settle for the second best – finishing as runners-up – he was duly declared as the Player of the Tournament.

Sportskeeda recently caught up with Dunk as he prepares himself for his first IPL season with Mumbai Indians.

Here are a few excerpts from the conversation:     

What was your first reaction when you were drafted to the Mumbai Indians side?

I was playing a Sheffield Shield game at the time, so I had to wait until after play to check if I was picked up; in fact, originally, I thought I had missed out. Then once I realized I was heading to Mumbai, I was very happy to be joining the reigning champions and with such a great set up of coaching staff.

You were one of the most talked about talents among the leading IPL franchises, yet your name went down the hammer three different time on the last day of the auction. Were you always confident of being picked up by one of the franchises?

I guess, leading up to the auction, I thought I was going to be picked up. However, after the first day, where all the capped players were placed for auction and a lot of quality players were passed through, I began to doubt if I would get the opportunity to be a part of the IPL.

Coming to the tournament itself, what are the first few things that come to your mind when you think about the IPL? What are you personal expectations from the tournament?

I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the players. The players that you get to play with and against are some of the best in the world. My personal expectations for the tournament are quite high. Although it is a star-studded team, I’m hoping I will get an opportunity at some stage and then hopefully contribute to Mumbai’s success. It will be my first extended stay in India, so I’m hoping to learn as much as possible when I’m there.

As we’ve seen in the past few seasons of the tournament, several international careers have been made and revived on the basis of a successful IPL campaign. Do you think of IPL as that one golden opportunity to impress the Australian team selectors?

I think it is a great opportunity to perform on an international stage against international players, and, as we have seen in the past, selectors have noticed that. I think more importantly it is essential to be consistent. I had a great BBL, and, if I can continue that form on for a long period of time, then selection will take care of itself.

After watching your BBL performances, it is safe to say that the most prominent facet of your game is how clean you strike a cricket ball: it was anything but slogging over the fence. Do you believe that even in the T20s, a technically disciplined batting style could make more of an impact than mere inventive stroke-making?

I think every player is different. It suits my game to stand still and play normal crickets shots because I have the power to clear the infield, but others may have to use reverse sweeps or ramps to get the boundary. I think in T20 cricket it’s important to find where you can hit your boundaries and then keep sticking to those areas.

Ben Dunk of the Hurricanes after scoring a half century during the Big Bash League match against Sydney Thunder at Blundstone Arena.

You looked pretty comfortable against the spinners during the BBL, but do you think it’s a challenge of magnanimous proportion when we talk about facing the best turners of the ball in the IPL? Would the foreign conditions have any impact on your preparations for the IPL?

I think it will certainly be a challenge, as I haven’t had a lot of experience playing against world-class spinners on spinning wickets, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. I’m sure I will get better as the tournament progresses.

You’ll be playing with a Mumbai Indians side that will have three other wicket-keepers and a total of seven other overseas campaigners; some of them – Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Mike Hussey – have been IPL’s best entertainers over the years. Does it bring more pressure to be associated with such a talented squad, never mind the tag of defending champions?

Absolutely. It adds pressure to be the reigning champions, but that’s the beauty of the IPL. Every team will be expecting success and that expectation brings pressure. I think, with the list we have, there is no reason why we can’t be successful.

Did you have any contact with the Mumbai Indians teammates/coaching staff? Tell us more about your early interactions.

I have spoken to the coach John Wright about what to expect and the plans going forward. As you have mentioned, there are a lot of good players and competition for selection will be very tough, so obviously there are no guarantees. However, I will be working very hard to give myself the best chance of firstly selection and providing some success for the Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma will be leading the Mumbai Indians this season. Have you been in touch with him lately? How do you rate him as a player?

Rohit Sharma is all class, and some of the innings he has played against Australia in India were unbelievable. I’m looking forward to watching him in action and learning from a world class player.

With Mumbai Indians comes the association with one of the biggest names in cricket – Sachin Tendulkar. He will be the mentor of the Mumbai Indians setup this season. How excited are you to meet him?

I am very much looking forward to meeting Sachin. I grew up watching him play against the Australian team, and his career speaks for itself. Hopefully, I can learn a few things from him and put them into practice.

Lastly, what are your expectations from the IPL this season? How important do you think it could be in shaping your international career?

I think its very important for me to be exposed to the conditions and the world-class opponents in order to keep developing as a player and hopefully advance on to the international stage. Sub-continent conditions have traditionally been very difficult for Australians, so I’m hoping to adapt very quickly.