Pressure makes perfect: Karnataka all-rounder Shreyas Gopal on the art of thriving in adversity

Pressure makes perfect: Karnataka all-rounder Shreyas Gopal on the art of thriving in adversity

After the highs of 383-run chase against Mumbai in its Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) opener, Karnataka was in a spot of bother, losing four wickets for 78 in its 212-run chase against Pondicherry. 

With R. Smaran, who was playing his first innings in List A cricket, Karnataka needed an experienced hand to guide the team through a tricky passage of play – in stepped Shreyas Gopal. 

The 31-year-old rotated strike expertly, absorbing the pressure, and played a solid knock of 40 from 59 balls to set his team on the path to a three-wicket win.

The all-rounder has been a crucial player for Karnataka over the last decade, scoring over 4000 runs and taking more than 400 wickets across all formats. He spent a year in Kerala after opportunities diminished but was called back by his home state ahead of the current domestic season. 

“It’s always a good feeling to be coming home. I did miss the side. They don’t usually call too many players back, so I was very thrilled,” Shreyas told  Sportstar on the sidelines of the VHT. 

Keeping away the joy of returning home, the leg-spinner was grateful for the year he spent in Kerala, a stint he said carried a lot of learning with it.

“When you play as a professional, that whole feeling is very different. You put so much more value on your cricket. There is so much more ownership that you have to take,” the spinner said.

A key facet that the spinner was able to work on during his time with Kerala was his skills with the red ball. In six Ranji Trophy matches last season, Shreyas picked up 16 wickets and scored 272 runs, including a century against Bihar in Patna.

“In Karnataka, we don’t play too many matches on red soil, so your lengths and your speeds are a little different. That’s something I had to figure out and be more precise,” the leg-spinner said. 

“Other than that, being able to take the load of bowling 35-40 overs and then coming into bat and still having to score runs – it gives a great feeling when you’re contributing,” he added. 

Following his return to the Karnataka side, Shreyas has been given the added responsibility of playing the role of vice-captain in the VHT.

“I don’t think there’s too much to change, whether I am vice-captain or not,” he said. “Try to get everyone in the best frame of mind, and give them the best opportunity in situations they’re confident of. It’s important to keep the atmosphere as happy as possible,” he added.

“If you don’t do well, people are going to come at you, and that’s how the sport is. As a professional, you have to take that on the chin,” Shreyas says about dealing with the outside noise. 

“I like playing under pressure. I feel I really up my game and my standard in those situations. With both bat and ball, it’s coming out well in the last 2-3 years, so I’m very happy about that. It’s important I take it from here and make it count, make the most of the good form,” the wrist-spinner said. 

In his decade-long Indian Premier League career, Shreyas has turned up for the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians aggregating 49 wickets in 49 matches at an average of 26.16. 

The spinner credits the competition for improving his self-belief and confidence. “You can go at a high economy in the first couple of overs or balls and still make a match out of it. That’s something IPL and franchise cricket drive strongly,” he said.

“Also, how to deal with losses and bad performances. It’s not often spoken about, but you need to be as grounded in success as you are in failure. When you’re doing well, you must stay neutral, calm, and mature, so you can focus on improving and meeting higher expectations,” the tweaker added. 

In the recently concluded IPL auction, Shreyas was picked by five-time champion Chennai Super Kings. He says he can’t wait to rub shoulders with former India captain MS Dhoni. 

“The feeling is surreal. I’ve said it before—probably every cricketer in India or even around the globe wants to play alongside MS Dhoni. 

“There’s so much to learn on and off the field—heaps to learn about captaincy, finishing a game, taking it deep, targeting bowlers, and decision-making in various situations,” the spinner said. 

“The [list of] questions will be enormous, and I’m sure, at the end of the day, he might get a little irritated answering them all,” he added in jest.