Raiphi on a high

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All eyes were on Raiphi Vincent Gomez as he ran in from the south end and the electronic display showed ‘On a Hat-trick’ after 10.3 overs during Kochi Tuskers Kerala bowling against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday’s match.

Was he nervous? “No, I had a game plan and was concentrating on that,” says the Kerala Ranji captain, whose best bowling in the IPL came just when his team needed it. After clean bowling Jacques Kallis, he had sent in a tempting good-length delivery, which Gautam Gambhir had guided into the hands of rival captain Mahela Jayawardene at extra cover.

“Actually I give full credit to my captain for that second wicket. The mid-off was deep and he guessed Gambhir might steal a single through there. He decided to bring him forward as if inviting Gambhir to play over covers. I just had to bowl in the right area and it worked,” says the medium-pacer.

Raiphi may have not got the hat-trick, but it proved to be an eventful over and a maiden as well, his first in the IPL and the only one in both the innings.

But is Raiphi comfortable with being labelled as a medium pacer, even though he has a proven track record of being a hard-hitter? “I am happy to bowl and that is what my team wants me to do. My coach insists that if I plan something, I should stick to it. That helps a lot as a bowler,” he adds.

Not long back, in Raiphi’s first over in the IPL, also on home ground against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he went for 20 runs. His was the most expensive over in that game and a decisive one that had turned the tables against his team.

But, on Thursday evening when KTK played their last home match this season, his precise bowling was the best in the match. He bowled four overs, giving just 14 runs and taking two crucial wickets.

The Thiruvananthapuram boy had also shown tremendous commitment in fielding and says Brendon McCullum is his inspiration. “He is terrific, not just in the close positions but even while fielding in the deep,” he adds.