IPL 2021: Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth Tuesday moved closer to a return to competitive cricket after being named in a 26-strong probables list by Kerala for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament and now the pacer has revealed that numerous IPL franchises have already contacted him ahead of IPL 2021 and now he will focus not only Mushtaq Ali but also aims to win Irani and Ranji trophy.
“Kerala has never won this tournament but we have a very good team now. I am excited to be part of this unit and also play under the guidance of coach Tinu Yohannan. Both Tinu and Sanju Samson have said they want to gift the trophy to me as I make a comeback,” Sreesanth told TOI.
“But I am not looking only at Mushtaq Ali but also to win Irani and Ranji. If I do well, I will get more opportunities. I have been getting inquiries for IPL, too, and I have to make sure that I am fit and bowling well.”
Notably, Sreesanth, who was banned by the BCCI over his alleged involvement in spot-fixing in the IPL, features alongside Sanju Samson, Sachin Baby, Jalaj Saxena, Robin Uthappa and Basil Thampi among others.
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His ban ended in September this year.
Meanwhile, Sreesanth, who is 37, asserted that he will focus to stay fit now as he had to endure a dramatic body change, and needs to drop over 20 KGs of weight due to having bulked up recently for Bollywood stints. The speedster revealed that he sought the help of former Indian strength and conditioning coach Ramji Srinivasan to do so.
“When I was not playing, I acted in a couple of Bollywood movies. I bulked up to get the kind of body these characters required. Routine of an actor and player are different but both need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, in sports, you need to do a lot of explosive training and I have been in touch with the leading strength and conditioning coach Ramji Srinivasan. After seeing my new videos, coach T A Sekhar has told me that it was like watching the Sree of 2007 World Cup,” Sreesanth said.
Interestingly, age is no barrier for Sreesanth despite being in the wrong side of his thirties and he takes inspiration from the likes of Roger Federer and Leander Paes, who have transcended the age barrier. The pacer also claimed that his ultimate goal is to win the 2023 World Cup with India.
“It is true that it is the kind of age when there is nothing much left to achieve in sports. But then, someone like Leander Paes won a grand slam at 42. Roger Federer is another case in point.
“As a fast bowler, I will be creating history but then, I like to create history. I am not just looking at the season ahead but at the next three years. My real goal is to be in the 2023 World Cup team and win the cup.”