Sikandar Raza, all-rounder for Zimbabwe and Punjab Kings, believes his IPL 2023 experience has greatly improved his Punjabi. The 37-year-old doesn’t recall ever speaking Punjabi as much as he has in the last six weeks.
Raza was born in Sialkot, Punjab and shifted to Zimbabwe with his parents in 2002. The spin-bowling all-rounder made his first-class debut in 2007 and received Zimbabwean citizenship four years later.
Raza informed ESPN Cricinfo about his Punjabi heritage:
“I come from a Punjabi background and I can speak Urdu. A lot of the conversations in Zimbabwe are in English and Shona, which is the local language. I don’t think I have spoken so much Punjabi in my life as I have done in the last six weeks. At least my Punjabi got polished a little bit.”
When asked which Punjab Kings colleague has most impressed him, the veteran chose Jitesh Sharma and believes the keeper-batter will be an excellent addition to the Indian side. Raza stated:
“The guy that has impressed me the most is Jitesh Sharma. It would be great if he ends up playing for India. India being so top-heavy, imagine having a wicketkeeper who can bat like him down the order. That’s a real plus. I think he has been the player to look out for.”
Jitesh Sharma made his IPL debut last year and developed as one of the team’s significant players. The 29-year-old has 265 runs in 12 matches this year, striking at 158.68.
“Everybody knows their roles” – Sikandar Raza on Sam Curran’s captaincy
When asked about Sam Curran’s leadership, Raza said that because of his clearly defined responsibilities, the Englishman left it up to the bowlers after establishing the pitch.
The 37-year-old elaborated:
“It is so professional in the IPL, believe me, there’s very little that’s said here. Everybody knows their roles. Everybody is clear about their roles, so when Sam captained, we had very little chat. He’d give me the field that I want, then leave it to me.”
“This has been really great about the IPL that everyone is very clear about their individual roles. Rest of the things look after themselves.”
The Kings will take on the Delhi Capitals on Wednesday (May 17), hoping for two points to keep their postseason hopes alive.
