Gulbarga Mystics’ Vyshak Vijaykumar Channels RCB Spirit For Maharaja Trophy 2024

Gulbarga Mystics' Vice-Captain Vyshak Vijaykumar aims to bring the work ethic and lessons from his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates to the Maharaja Trophy 2024. Inspired by players like Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj, Vyshak is ready to apply his experience and confidence in the upcoming campaign.

The Karnataka pacer, selected for the Duleep Trophy, admired Kohli's training methods and the confidence he exudes on the field. "Training with Virat Kohli can really impact you as a player. Last season, while I admired him, I paid attention to the finer details such as his work ethic, his process, and his consistency," Vyshak said.

"Whether it's his eating habits or practice routine, everything is done with precision. It's admirable how confident he is before every game, and now I try to have the same confidence every time I step onto the field," he added.

As a senior player, Vyshak is committed to mentoring younger squad members, drawing inspiration from advice received from senior players like Siraj. "In my first game for RCB, I did well, but then I conceded 60 runs in the next match." he recalled. "Siraj told me, 'This is the game, and this is the challenge at the highest level.' I am keen to keep this in mind and to pass on these lessons whenever I can," he added.

Challenges and Optimism for New Season

Looking ahead to the new season, Vyshak aims to overcome last year's challenges when Mystics secured third place without Devdutt Padikkal. "Missing Devdutt made a big difference last season," he said. "We felt our campaign was incomplete, but we want to finish stronger this year. We bat deep, and I've been batting well too, so I am hoping to contribute with the bat as well" he opined.

Although stepping down from captaincy, Vyshak is excited about working alongside Padikkal as vice-captain. "I love captaincy, but with Devdutt's experience and recent India debut, I'm looking forward to supporting him as vice-captain. Last season we really missed him, so I'm optimistic about this year," he added.

Maharaja Trophy's Impact on Career

The Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy holds special significance for Vyshak as it helped launch his IPL career after performances in the KSCA tournament. "The first season of Maharaja got me noticed and led to my IPL debut; this platform provided by KSCA is exceptional and a huge opportunity for all of us," he remarked.

The Gulbarga Mystics begin their campaign on August 15 against Bengaluru Blasters in the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 opener powered by FanCode.