Vidwath Kaverappa, Vyshak Vijaykumar and V Koushik – Three aces in Karnataka’s pace pack | Cricket News – Times of India

BENGALURU: R Vinay Kumar, Sreenath Arvind and Abhimanyu Mithun are the names which come up when one talks of a potent Karnataka pace bowling attack of recent times. The trio was a proven package of skill, swing and pace. Their exit from the state set-up left big shoes to fill. It won’t be out of place to say that the former Ranji Trophy champions have finally unearthed another pace pack which is a force to reckon with.
The emergence of Vidwath Kaverappa and Vyshak Vijaykumar in the 2021-22 season and the resurrection of V Koushik’s career last year augurs well for Karnataka cricket. Last season, they held fort, especially in the absence of the team’s bowling mainstay, Prasidh Krishna.
In the Duleep Trophy, which concluded on Sunday, the trio formed the fulcrum of the pace attack for champions South Zone, claiming 28 wickets among them, 16 of which came in the title clash against West Zone.
What makes these three bowlers a formidable strike force is the variety they offer. Vidwath possesses the ability to bowl with gentle pace and maintain accurate lengths which puts pressure on the batters. His upright seam position helps the ball move in the air or off the pitch, making it challenging for the batters to pick line and length. Add to this his skill to set up batters, and he is a good package.

Outlining his bowling mantra, the 24-year-old, who has 49 wickets in 12 first-class matches explained, “Since I don’t have the express pace, I have to seek other ways to get any kind of purchase from the wicket. That is something I’ve learnt by watching bowlers like Dale Steyn and Mohammed Shami.”
Dwelling on Shami, he added, “Of late, I’ve seen a lot of Shami’s bowling and seen how good his seam presentation is and what the ball does in white-ball cricket. So, why not do it with the red-ball with a prominent seam? I’ve been trying to do it.”
Vyshak’s strength lies in his ability to bowl sharp deliveries and in the corridor just outside off stump. Sharp bouncers and pace are his other assets.
The 26-year-old, who has often struggled with consistency and fitness, is chiselling the rough edges and believes the IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore has helped.
“I had the biggest learnings of my career in the IPL because I got to spend a lot of time with the seniors and they have taught me how to be match-ready. More importantly, I learnt how to recover after a game,” Vyshak pointed out.
Koushik is the more mature and experienced among the three with a better understanding of his role. His wicket-taking skill, ability to move the ball both ways and consistency hold him in good stead.
Often branded a white-ball specialist, the 30-year-old has proved to be an all-format player. Once considered ‘overaged’ for the Karnataka setup and discarded from the probables, Koushik said his love for the sport and the eagerness to learn are what keep him going.
“I just enjoy playing cricket. I’m mentally ready each time I’m called up to play. I’ve also worked on enhancing my skill in the past year. My stock ball always used to be the ball which is going out; now, I’ve been working on the one coming in,” said the engineering graduate, who gave up a corporate job to pursue cricket.
The threesome has also been picked in the South Zone team for the Deodhar Trophy limited-overs competition which begins in Puducherry next week.
With the likes of Vidhyadhar Patil, M Venkatesh and Dhanush Gowda in the queue, the time is right for Karnataka to make the most of the assembly line of pacers at their disposal again.
TRIO IN DULEEP TROPHY
Vidwath Kaverappa
Matches: 2
Wkts: 15
Best in a match: 8/104
Eco: 2.46
Vyshak Vijaykumar
Matches: 2
Wkts: 9
Best in a match: 6/102
Eco: 3.08
V Koushik
Matches: 1
Wkts: 5
Best in a match: 5/62
Economy: 1.77