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Delhi Daredevils didn't back my skills: Pawan Negi on disappointing IPL season

New Delhi, June 6: A lot was expected from all-rounder Pawan Negi after he was roped in by Delhi Daredevils with a mind-boggling deal of Rs 8.50 crore, to become the costliest Indian buy in an otherwise low-key IPL 9 players' auction. (IPL 2016: Major statistics at a glance)

After conclusion of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, the 23-year-old failed to live up to the expectations and justify his million dollar buy.

Delhi Daredevils didn't back my skills: Pawan Negi on disappointing IPL season

The all-rounder bowled just nine overs in the eight matches he played and bagged just one wicket apart from scoring mere 57 runs from his bat.

In an interview to Asian Age, the 23-year-old Negi said he was underused by the franchise. The Delhi-lad added he wasn't clear about his role in the side which was one of the reasons for his dismal show during the tournament.

"Sitting on the bench was hard to digest as I never expected to watch the action from the sidelines. I was mentally down, but I didn't lose hope. After the season, T.A. Sekhar and our manager Sunil Valson pepped me up saying that I didn't get enough opportunities to showcase my abilities. The hardest part was, before every match, I had no clue whether I would play or not," he told the news daily.

One of the prime reasons for Negi being picked by Daredevils, after an intense bidding war, was the way he performed for Chennai Super Kings in the previous seasons.

(IPL auction: Uncapped Pawan Negi sets record)

Talking about what probably went wrong with him in the tournament the former CSK spinner said, he didn't get proper backing in Delhi the way he got in his previous franchise.

"I kept wondering why wasn't I given more opportunities. And the team management didn't tell me the reason either. When I was with CSK, Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) backed my abilities. Maybe, I feel Delhi didn't back my skills with bat and ball. Maybe, it was a rotation policy, because I was never told that I was dropped," he said.

Talking about his future plans Negi said he'll work hard for upcoming Ranji season to earn a place in Team India squad.

"Though I'm a very positive person, I would say this IPL ended on a negative note for me. I wasn't surprised a bit that I didn't make the cut for the Zimbabwe series because I didn't perform well in the IPL. Now, I will practice hard for the upcoming Ranji season," added Negi.

OneIndia News

Story first published: Thursday, August 3, 2017, 7:32 [IST]
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