‘Hope my performance won’t go unnoticed’

• Yes,this has been a happy hunting-ground for me,my lucky venue. It happens sometimes that when you go back to a place where you’ve done well,you get positive vibes and they make you lucky. The IPL format is such that it allows a team to persist with a bowler to iron out the rough edges.

How much did you enjoy wearing the purple cap?

• This cap gives me great pride and satisfaction. Pride because I’ve bowled during the power-plays and the death overs,and I’ve not only managed to get the most wickets so far,but also be economical in a format that isn’t generally kind to bowlers; satisfaction because all my hard work has paid off. It’s been a while since I’ve played any real cricket and I needed to remind people about myself. The work is only half done. It’s still early in the tournament,but the Deccan Chargers have done well and I’m proud to have played a substantial part in making that happen.

How frustrating is it for a new-ball bowler to go out of the Indian team because of an injury and then be relegated to the sidelines?

• It’s very frustrating when you sit on the bench as the third or fourth seamer,thinking that just a couple of months ago you were the team’s top bowler. I was having a good run for almost two years before I picked up the injury,so you can imagine how I must’ve felt when I was out of the side. Watching the team playing from the sidelines was disappointing,and to be sitting on the bench for months while I waited for another chance even more so. When I was eased out last year after just two bad matches at home,it was demoralising.

But life must be easy for an international cricketer in the domestic circuit?

• On the contrary,it’s tougher because you have to mentally prepare yourself for the grind. The opposition knows your reputation and plays with extra care. The batsmen try to see you off and take credit in not giving you wickets. Some of them are your friends who have seen you since the under-19 days,others have had a chance to analyse you on TV. To get a large number of wickets as a selection parameter becomes very demanding. But generally the selectors come to watch matches,so if the bowler finds his rhythm he can return to the big league.

You and Fidel Edwards have formed one of the most potent bowling combinations in the IPL.

• Every fast bowler needs a good partner from the other end so that they can build pressure. You have Walsh and Ambrose,Waqar and Wasim — they always hunted in pairs. I formed a good combination with Zaheer Khan and we both had a lot of success because we played together for a considerable period. Fidel and I have started well,but sadly he will leave us midway to join the West Indies team.

Considering that IPL is the selection trial for the T20 World Cup,you must have backed your chances to be part of the team?

• I definitely hope to make the cut. I played a big part in winning the World T20,and I want to be there to defend the title. It’ll be a tough choice for selectors but I hope to see my name in the final list.