"T20 cricket is about being proactive and being a step ahead of the batter" - PBKS pacer Nathan Ellis on his variations amidst IPL 2024
Punjab Kings (PBKS) pacer Nathan Ellis has grown into a T20 specialist and has been effective in the IPL as well as for Australia in the shortest format. His variations and ability to keep batters guessing have earned him plaudits and deservedly so.
However, Ellis claims that he has developed these variations over time. For him, it's always an ongoing process of adapting and adding more to his repertoire after learning from each passing game.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Nathan Ellis spoke about his variations and why it's important for him to keep working on the tricks up his sleeve:
"Firstly you got to be quick to learn to play in different conditions. You get a lot of good wickets here which means you got to think on your feet and be proactive.
"T20 cricket is about being proactive and being a step ahead of the batter. So for me it is about learning as fast as I can and implementing that in the games moving forward."
Nathan Ellis is surprised with the new two bouncers per over rule applied in IPL 2024. While he believes it's a great addition, the pacer reckons bowlers are being a bit too predictable with it:
"I think coming into the tournament I thought it's going to be a huge huge asset, but I think at the moment people might be leaning on it a bit too much.
"I think maybe later in the tournament when the wicket starts to get a bit tired, it might be a good option."
Nevertheless, Ellis agreed that the rule has made the games more entertaining and intriguing to watch.
Nathan Ellis on his favourite moments for PBKS and Australia
Nathan Ellis is into his fourth season with the Punjab Kings and has made several memories with his teammates and coaching staff. However, his first couple of seasons were during the COVID-19 period when he couldn't experience the home crowd.
However, Ellis is thrilled to witness the atmosphere at the PCA Stadium in Mohali last year:
"My favourite moment for Punjab would be last year when we first played in Mohali.
"I have been with Punjab for a while, but we have been in Dubai in the COVID years. I hadn't played at the home ground yet, so my first game there was really exciting. My first game for Punjab in Sharjah was also pretty exciting."
Just like for Punjab, Ellis also played quite a few away games for Australia before playing his first home T20I in Perth. It was a special occasion for him, as he had his family in attendance.
"We played earlier in West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan and my family wasn;t able to come because it was all COVID times.
"While Perth isn't very close to home, it was still in Australia and my family got to come. My now wife was there. I got to sing the national anthem in front of my family. That was really surreal. Almost like 'I made it' moment," Ellis concluded.
While Nathan Ellis didn't feature in the Punjab Kings' IPL 2024 opener, they got off to a fabulous start at their new stadium in Mullanpur, registering a comprehensive win over the Delhi Capitals.