"Walking into that dressing room was crazy" - Travis Head on playing alongside Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers for RCB

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Travis Head recently reflected on how different his experience was during his stint with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2016. The southpaw recalled that rubbing shoulders with Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers was surreal.

Head represented the Royal Challengers in IPL 2016 and 2017, but didn't get enough opportunities. The South Australian featured in only 10 matches in two seasons, managing 205 runs with a best of 75*, and didn't make an appearance again until the 2024 edition.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, the left-hander suggested that he struggled with his own identity in that RCB team of heavyweights. The 30-year-old also reflected how every player had a well-defined success mantra.

"Walking into that dressing room was crazy. I was young and it feels like a long time ago. And I probably didn't understand myself enough around off-field stuff or even game stuff and I was watching how AB went about and Gayle went about. Every guy went differently and every guy had certain things that they excelled at or were great at. AB's understanding of the game was incredible.

"Virat's preparation was second to none. And the way Chris went out and performed on match day was just outrageous. So each guy had those things that I sort of drew upon and understand a blueprint."

Fast forward to the present, Travis Head was one of the most in-demand players ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. He fetched ₹6.8 crores from the SunRisers Hyderabad and has smashed over 500 runs in the season.

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"I definitely drew back on them by that experience" - Travis Head

Travis Head. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Although the Aussie batter expressed more confidence in his methods and abilities now, he reckons the early years in IPL has acted as a springboard for success. He added:

"I just feel like there's a lot more experience and there's a lot more understanding around my game and there's probably a lot more belief around what I can achieve or what I can do. I don't sort of try, there's always doubts and there's always things you go through in mind I guess. Seven or eight years has passed, (I've) achieved a few things in international cricket you can draw back on."

"So yeah back then I didn't have I guess the blueprint or the runs behind me but I feel like I still had some really good performances when I was here last time and I definitely drew back on them by that experience. But that whole IPL all those two years with RCB was just a bit of a whirlwind."

Travis Head has played a significant role in propelling the SunRisers Hyderabad to the playoffs this year.