Mumbai: IPL is supposed to be a batsmen’s game. Helpful conditions, small boundaries; (things) definitely favour the men with the willow. But, there have been spinners, leg-spinners in particular, who have had success in the shortest form of the game. Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Amit Mishra are some of the names that come up straightaway. In his own modest way, another leg-spinner is trying to make progress towards that elite League. And it’s our own Shreyas Gopal.

The 21-year-old from Karnataka, who made his first class debut in 2013 for Karnataka, has made excellent progress in his short career so far. He is not only the first choice spinner of his state team, but is also an important part of their batting unit, lower down the order.

“Bowling leg-spin is something that just happened to me, right from my school days,” Shreyas told mumbaiindians.com in an exclusive chat.

“I was obviously too young at that stage to even think about a career as a leggie. But I just enjoyed bowling leg-spin and batting, and it helped me to graduate to Zonals, age groups and eventually to first-class cricket,” Shreyas added.

Having made a mark in his debut first-class season for Karnataka, Shreyas was spotted and eventually taken on board by the Mumbai Indians before the IPL-7. “To be honest, I never expected to be picked up by any IPL team. It was a pleasant surprise to be picked by a team as big as the Mumbai Indians,” he said.

However, once he got into the team, Shreyas has learned a lot, and has enjoyed his journey with the Paltan. “It’s a great unit; we have got a very supportive team. The support staff of Mumbai Indians is the best. I have learnt a lot by being with the Mumbai Indians. My knowledge of the game has improved so much,” Shreyas explained.

Being a Karnataka lad, and being with Mumbai Indians, Shreyas has obviously had opportunities to learn from one of greatest leg-spinners of all time, Anil Kumble. “He has given me important inputs. I always try to put them into practice in actual match situations. As great as he was, it seemed like things came very smoothly to him. I am always trying to learn from him as much as I can,” the youngster added.

And it’s not just his leg-spin, but also his batting, that Shreyas has improved over the past 12 months or so. In fact, he was the leading run-scorer for Karnataka for the first half of their current Ranji campaign. “I had a terrible season with the bat last year. So, I was really looking forward to contribute. I haven’t made much of technical changes. I just tried to play myself in, and I am happy I was able to contribute to the team’s cause,” Shreyas added.

Once Shreyas is done with the Ranji season, which reaches its climax with the final between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at the Wankhede Stadium from March 8, he will shift focus to the IPL. And for this 21-year-old, it’s about sticking to the basics. “As a spinner, batsmen are bound to go after you in T20 format. What Anil Sir has told me is to bowl to my strengths. If batsmen come after you, it also gives you a chance of getting a wicket. So, he has asked me to keep it simple,” Shreyas explained.

Like all the other players, Shreyas is looking forward to the IPL-8. But for him, the first task ahead is to help his team defend their Ranji title at the Mumbai Indians’ home.