Mumbai Indians' spin coach Bradd Hogg is highly impressed with youngsters Kumar Kartikeya and Raghav Goyal and says he keeps talking with the boys about how to improve during the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023.
Mumbai Indians squad this year is brimming with young talent and the franchise is making conscious efforts to nurture budding talent. Mumbai Indians have scouted and given a platform to upcoming players to gain technical insights from some of the biggest names in world cricket.
Among the youngsters looking to make a mark are Kumar Kartikeya and Raghav Goyal. Both are left-arm wrist spinners. Kartikeya had an impressive debut season for MI last year, while Goyal is a part of the squad for the first time.
Both of them are being trained at Mumbai Indians by two-time World Cup winner Brad Hogg, one of the best left-arm wrist spinners of all time.
"Yeah, I'm just over here helping a couple of spinners. There's a couple of wrist spinners in here," Hogg says.
"I keep talking to the boys about plans and methods in the middle and how we can try and improve as the year goes on," he was quoted as saying by the franchise in a release on Wednesday.
Kartikeya is one of the most consistent bowlers in the domestic circuit. Capable of bowling left-arm orthodox spin too, he was a key part of the Madhya Pradesh team which won the Ranji Trophy title last year.
Hogg is effusive in his praise of Kartikeya. "One thing that really impresses me is his work ethic. It's just fantastic. He just wants to evolve and keep learning."
Unlike Kartikeya, Goyal is yet to play a match of professional senior-level cricket, having not made his debut in any of the three formats. Hogg says he is working on getting him ready for a big tournament like the IPL, the Mumbai Indians said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Raghav is a very interesting one. He has never been exposed to this type of cricket before. He's learning about what it takes to be a first-class cricketer."
The young spinners are equally excited to be working with Hogg. "He is one of the best left-arm wrist spinners I have seen in my life," Kartikeya says.
Hogg's coaching philosophy involves putting the youngsters at ease and encouraging them to open up, something Kartikeya acknowledges. "He is fun-loving. So I love to be coached by him."
Just 22, Goyal says he has been a long-term fan of Hogg. "He is one of my favourite bowlers. I have admired him since childhood."
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