Durban, April 22 (Inditop) Kings XI Punjab’s new opener Karan Goel, who made his mark against Delhi Daredevils, feels the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be a learning curve for him.
Goel and England’s Ravi Bopara are the new openers for the Punjab team. The left-handed Goel knows that he has a huge responsibility to shoulder as Kings XI’s last year’s southpaw opener, Australian Shaun Marsh was the tournament’s top-scorer.
Goel got off to a good start with a quickfire 38 off 21 balls against Delhi Daredevils in the first match, but failed to score against Kolkata Knight Riders Tuesday. The 23-year-old, however, has taken it in his stride and said there is still a long way to go in the tournament.
“I am expecting to learn a lot. The league will provide us with good exposure. Playing with and against experienced players who have played in Test and international matches will boost our confidence,” Goel said Tuesday after Kings XI lost their second match to Kolkata Knight Riders.
He made his IPL debut against the Chennai Super Kings last year and finished with 76 runs in seven matches.
The youngster, however, is looking to make amends this season.
“I am not thinking beyond IPL now. It’s all about playing to my potential and enjoying the tournament,” Goel said.
Goel made his T20 debut for Punjab against Haryana in 2007, but quickly became an important member of the side as he went on to score 313 runs in 10 matches. He enjoyed success with his off-break bowling as well.
rounak