How important was the IPL for you?
Very important. People are watching my performances closely and their expectations have doubled. I think this does not just apply to me but also to everyone else.

How confident were you of delivering in the background of the big price tag?
There is nothing special in my approach here, I’m batting as I would normally. With the success in Australia, I was high on confidence and I brought that into the IPL. I was always confident of doing well in Twenty20. If you look at the past, I’ve always done well in this format, be it the World Cup or Ranji Twenty20 matches. I even had a T20 100, and that’s why I was confident of doing well.

Your consistency has been a standout feature of your performance in the IPL...
I usually get out playing a bad shot. The three formats of the game — Ranji Trophy, one-dayers and Twenty20 — are totally different ball games. You can’t compare a four-day Ranji Trophy game with Twenty20 and I know people had questioned my consistency after I failed to score in the Ranji games.

Unlike some, you haven’t resorted to cross-batted shots. Is there a particular reason for that?
I’ve never felt that to succeed one needs to play cross-bat shots. One can still score runs with cricketing strokes. It’s the case not just with me; other players like Sangakkara have also done well while playing with a straight bat. Andrew Symonds scored a century playing proper cricketing strokes. I know I’ve got the potential and I stick to the basics. There are many players like Ganguly, Sachin and Rahul who all play technically correct cricket and are doing well.

How do you handle pressure?
If you are confident, then you can play any attack in the world. You just need to have faith in yourself. The reason I succeeded in Australia, who have the best bowling in the world, was that my confidence level was high.

Have you learnt anything from the Aussies?
I learnt a lot from Gilchrist and Symonds. I like their attitude, they don’t give up easily irrespective of the situation. The point I’ve learnt from them is to never give up until the last ball is bowled. Anything can happen in cricket.

How do you approach an innings?
I never stress myself when I go out to bat and I never think of a particular score or plan before taking a stance. I play the ball according to its merit and can switch tempo according to the situation. I usually try to spend some time at the crease and then play my strokes. I know I have the potential of clearing the fence if the situation demands it.

Is it easy to get carried away at times in this version?
I generally don’t get over-excited because I know the fact that one knock is not the end of the road. I follow Sachin Tendulkar in this regard, who despite scoring so consistently, is still hungry for more. Doing well in one or two innings doesn’t matter. You need to be consistent for longer periods as people don’t remember the number of innings you play but the number of years you have played. Since my debut, I’ve had a good time and now I want to utilise every opportunity that comes my way in the future.

Are you receptive to advice?
I don’t take too much advice. If I’m not scoring runs, I usually take a break from the game. I try not to think of the past.

Your favourite knock so far?
The 66 against Delhi when we had lost the top five batsmen. It was a position where everybody thought we would not cross the 100-run mark. We made 140, so that knock was really a satisfying one.