I am more adaptable to situations now: Jonathan Rongsen

Jonathan Rongsen (pic courtesy, the player's FB page)

Bengaluru, August 24: Namma Shivamogga grabbed Jonathan Rongsen for Rs 5.1 lakh in the Karnataka Premier League auction, making him the costliest Pool B player. The price tag is quite justified as Jonathan has been around the first-class ciruit for a while, appearing for Karnataka and Railways.

Jonathan said the experience of playing for two top teams has served him well and should stand him in good stead in the upcoming KPL.

"It will help a lot. I've also played for Karnataka in the one-dayers and the T20s. Then I went on to play first-class cricket for Railways. So, I've played in two different places, two different teams.

"It has toughened me up, because it's so different. I had to adjust, in terms of facilities and the culture. I had to adjust my mental aspects and it made me tougher, more adaptable to different situations. It helped me handle pressure better," said Jonathan.

Keeping in mind a busy domestic season starting with the KPL, Jonathan said his focus during the off-season was on improving the fitness.

"As professionals, we train and keep ourselves fit because it's required during the season. We can't do fitness during the season, there is no time for that. So that's what I mainly concentrated on. I did a lot of running. I spent a lot of time in the gym. I love playing football as well, so I played it regularly," he said.

He said the big price tag added no extra pressure on him. "I never expected that, honestly. I was expecting to be somewhere in the top-half, but I was surprised I became the costliest player in Pool B. It gave me more confidence to deliver. Knowing that a lot of teams wanted me, it shows the value of player I am. So, there is absolutely no pressure. There is already pressure while you're on the field," he noted.

Talking about Shivamogga's chances, he said: "We've a very well-balanced and experienced team. If you see the names, we don't have an India player or anything like that. But we have a pretty good team in terms of balance. In cricket, anything can happen."