Credit IPL For Giving India Fast Bowling Options: Vinay Kumar

Former India and Karnataka pacer R. Vinay Kumar, who quit all forms of cricket on Friday, has credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the elaborate domestic structure for producing a battery of f

Kumar added that because of multiple options there is no dependency on a few bowlers.

"You have so many options. There are so many seniors. For example, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Umesh Yadav - can take a break whenever they want."

"They can choose matches to play. The workload is being monitored really well. There are so many bowlers who are playing T20Is, ODIs. Cricket is growing. They are playing some format or the other, going back and doing proper training and getting good recovery," he said.

The former right-arm pace bowler, who played 139 first-class matches picking 504 wickets, the most by any Indian bowler in domestic cricket, said that he is happy with the way his career shaped up, though he feels he could have played a bit more international cricket.

"I am really happy with the way my career shaped up. Maybe I could have played more international matches, definitely with the red ball. I didn't get many chances to play for India in Test cricket but I did play long for Karnataka in red-ball cricket. I don't have any regrets."

Kumar added that he loved taking on challenges and for him, breaking a partnership was as important as a five-wicket haul.

"I always used to take challenges and I was always very happy if I would come and break a partnership. It was like taking a five-wicket haul. Those kinds of small, small challenges, breaking a partnership on a flat wicket, I always used to enjoy. Be it batting at the end of batting with the tail-enders or brilliant catches."

Kumar talked about his debut Test and said that he was unlucky to have played as a fourth bowler since it restricted his role. He was criticized for not being incisive enough.

"I never thought my pace was less. People need to understand that I played as the fourth seamer in my first Test. I was kind of limited by the role that I was playing as the fourth bowler. And my role was to come and keep it tight," he said.

"If I would have played as a second or a third seamer then the thinking process would have been different. Ishant, Umesh, and Zaheer Khan were there. I kind of thought I am the fourth bowler and need to keep it this way. The best example of my pace came immediately in the ODIs after the Tests."

"They went so well. I was the same bowler, the same tour. I bowled at a good pace, good bouncers. People don't understand. There are so many legends of the game. Most of them might have gone wrong in their first match."

However, Kumar is grateful and happy with the way his career panned out. "At the end of the day, that is life. Whatever opportunity I got -- one-dayers, Ranji Trophy, IPL -- I was happy that I gave my best," he said.