IPL: I have prepared well for the second leg in UAE, says Rajasthan Royal’s Manan Vohra

Rajasthan Royals batsman Manan Vohra is looking forward to the second stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 and is determined to correct the mistakes he made in the first half of the season in India earlier this year.

Manan got to play four out of the 7 games in the first phase in which he managed just 42 runs at an average of 10.50. But the 27-year-old aims to use all the learnings from April-May to put up an improved show when the popular T20 tournament resumes on September 19.

“I was a little disappointed because I felt I couldn’t capitalize on the starts that I got; however, it means that I had a lot of learnings from those outings and have prepared well for the second leg,” Manan said in a release issued by the franchise.

A member of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team, Manan said time has come for the inaugural champions Rajasthan to reclaim the trophy and they have a lot of self-belief as they head into the T20 League.

“As a group, we are all looking to win the trophy. It has been a long time since the franchise has won it,” said Manan, who was roped in by RR in 2019.

“the best thing is that everyone in our group believes that the team has the potential to make a mark once again. So, we’re aiming for the cup but will be mindful of taking it game by game.”

Like million others, Manan too has the ambition to play for the country and said he intends to use the upcoming domestic season to make a case to the selectors.

“Every player on the circuit has the same dream, and so do I. I definitely want to play for the Indian team. I think the upcoming domestic season again gives me a chance to get noticed,” said Manan, who has 1054 runs in 53 IPL matches at a strike-rate of over 130.

“I’m playing for Chandigarh now and will be leading them, so I’m confident of taking my team to the latter stages of competitions through good performances, which will help me in making a case.”

IPL 2021 was initially postponed indefinitely after just 29 matches in May due to the second wave of Covid-19 in India.

But the Indian cricket board (BCCI) was able to find out a window to slot in the remaining 31 games to complete the season and thus, decided to take the tournament to the UAE where it will be played from September 19 to October 15 in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Oman.