Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg, who is currently with the Mumbai Indians squad in the IPL 2023 and has been giving training to two young spinners Kumar Kartikeya and Raghav Goyal has revealed that he keeps talking to the boys about plans and methods and how they can improve as the year goes on.
Like most of the seasons, the Mumbai Indians squad this year to has been one, which is brimming with young talent. Among the youngsters looking to make a mark for the team this year are Kumar Kartikeya and Raghav Goyal.
Both Kartikeya and Goyal are left-arm wrist spinners, rare specialists in world cricket. They are being trained by two-time World Cup winner Hogg, one of the best left-arm wrist spinners of all time.
Kartikeya had an impressive debut season for MI last year, while Goyal is a part of the Mumbai Indians for the first time.
“Yeah, I’m just over here helping a couple of spinners. There are a couple of wrist spinners in here. I keep talking to the boys about plans and methods in the middle and how we can try and improve as the year goes on,” Hogg was quoted as saying in a media release, issued by the franchise.
Kartikeya is one of the most consistent bowlers on the domestic circuit. Capable of bowling left-arm orthodox spin too, he was a key part of the Madhya Pradesh team which won the Ranji Trophy title last year.
“One thing that really impresses me is his work ethic. It’s just fantastic. He just wants to evolve and keep learning,” said Hogg while praising Kartikeya.
Unlike Kartikeya, Goyal is yet to play a match of professional senior level cricket, having not made his debut in any of the three formats.
The former Australian cricketer says he is working on getting him ready for a big tournament like the IPL.
“Raghav is a very interesting one. He has never been exposed to this type of cricket before. He’s learning about what it takes to be a first class cricketer,” he said.
At the same time, the young spinners are equally excited to be working with Hogg.
“He is one of the best left arm wrist spinners I have seen in my life,” Kartikeya said.
Hogg’s coaching philosophy involves putting the youngsters at ease and encouraging them to open up, something Kartikeya acknowledges. “He is fun loving. So I love to be coached by him.”
The 22-year old Goyal says he has been a long-term fan of Hogg.
“He is one of my favourite bowlers. I have admired him since childhood,” he said.
In the short time that he has been with the spin twins, Hogg has already had an impact.
“He is a very positive person. He tells me about how he fought every situation. He tells me about how to stay positive everytime, how to buck up and how to push yourself. So I have learnt a lot from him,” Goyal said.
