IPL provides a great learning experience: Thisara Perera

Thisara Perera will somehow look to break into the eleven after being sidelined in the last season

Thisara Perera, Sri Lanka’s attacking all-rounder, is all geared up to play for his IPL side Kings XI Punjab this season. However, as KXIP has all its foreign player slots full with George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson and David Miller filling in, it might be a little difficult for the Sri Lankan to break in to the eleven.

He did not get a chance to play even a single match for KXIP last season and was confined to his dug-out space throughout. Gladly, he found his opportunity during the Champions League T20 (which KXIP qualified automatically by virtue of finishing as the IPL-2014 runners up) and played a match-winning role in the tournament.

Nevertheless, Perera considers IPL and other such T20 tournaments as great learning grounds and attributes his progress to the experience gained in the leagues. “In IPL, you can see a lot of foreign players and lot of captains and lot of coaches. I think that is main thing for us, you know, we can take advice from them, and we can change our thoughts.” he told in an ESPN Cricinfo interview yesterday.

Perera is a powerful left-hand batsman and can clear the ropes with tremendous ease. He is also capable of breaking the partnerships with his effective seam bowling. He made his IPL debut for CSK in 2010. He subsequently had short stints with Kochi Tuskers, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He later grabbed by Kings XI Punjab during the 2014 auction.

He expressed a great word of praise for his present KXIP captain George Bailey under whom he has already played in the Big Bash League. “I have worked with him for a couple of years and I think he knows how to handle his players and get the best out of every player. Team meeting and everything he really handles well," Perera said.

The 26-year-old said he favors the shorter format of the game but expressed that he wanted to carve a space for himself in Test cricket as well. He was quoted saying, “Actually my batting style and bowling style, I really like to play Twenty20 and 50-overs. But I have played only 6 matches in Tests. I have to play another 20-30 matches because I like to play Test matches. Normally, my batting style is, I am the big-hitter. I am always hitting.”