New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert Kolkata Knight Riders have outlined their game plan against Jasprit Bumrah ahead of their opening match in IPL 2026.
Seifert comes up against a familiar foe, as Kolkata Knight Riders take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in their season opener on March 29. In the final of the recently concluded T20 World Cup, New Zealand were bowled out for 159 and lost by 96 runs, with Seifert being the only batsman to show resistance with a brilliant half-century. Bumrah tore apart the Kiwi batting line-up, registering figures of 4/15 in a Player of the Match performance.
Seifert believes that the key to facing a bowler like Bumrah is to take the bowler's name and play the ball. Focusing on the ball will put the batsman in a better mindset to play.
“Yes, Bumrah is the best bowler in the world at the moment, so you have to respect him. But at the same time, I think you have to take the name off sometimes and react to the ball coming down. If you can take the name off what you're facing and just react to the ball, it will potentially put you in a better mindset than playing Bumrah. So, I think that's a factor as well,” he told The Telegraph.
Ahead of the clash against a star-studded Mumbai Indians team, the 31-year-old player believes this mantra will help him deal with the pressure of the occasion.
“If you play by name, you get caught in the headlights and put pressure on yourself. If you tone it down, you take that pressure off yourself and just worry about how you go about the game, so that's pressure directly on you. Like I said, you have to respect the players for who they are. But at the same time, you also have to react and worry about that white ball coming down,” he said.
This will be Seifert's second stint with KKR after 2021. The New Zealand opening batsman has made three appearances in the IPL so far, one of which has come for the Knight Riders.
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