Experts find it incomprehensible that Sai Kishore bowled just one over.

Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, and Mohammed Siraj have taken 36 wickets between them in seven games. One of his teammates is ranked No. 6 and another is ranked No. 9 on the Purple Cap standings, which is headed by a Gujarat Titans (GT) player 36 games into the 2025 Indian Premier League. Perhaps the most intriguing topic of conversation following Saturday’s victory over the Delhi Capitals (DC) was the overs in which Sai Kishore was not given an opportunity to bowl.

“It was quite strange,” Ambati Rayudu said following the game on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut. During the game, Sai Kishore only bowled one over. It was the DC innings’ final over. He got rid of the powerful batsman Ashutosh Sharma with just nine runs conceded. Why keep Sai Kishore hidden when Rashid Khan barely lit up the IPL when he had none for 38 this time?

“Given the conditions – it was an afternoon game – you would expect the ball to grip a little bit, especially with the new ball when the seam is hard and slightly elevated,” Rayudu stated. “He ought to have bowled through the middle and at least one over during the powerplay. He has been bowling better than Rashid in this competition and has been their greatest spinner thus far. I don’t understand it.

Unsurprisingly, matchups may be the answer, as left-handed Axar Patel batted from the fifth over till the eighteenth, and Nicholas Pooran, who is also left-handed, had thrashed Sai Kishore in GT’s last game, finishing with 1.3-0-35-0.

“Frightened by games and possibly past events. He was probably placed under the pump the last time we saw him bowl, but it was Pooran. ‘Why didn’t he give him a try?’ is the question that has us all scratching our heads. On the same episode, Mark Boucher stated, “Especially when three of your topline seamers are all going at more than ten runs an over.”

“He has the mentality that ‘I can throw it outside his eyeline’ and I believe he may have still created chance there, even if he’s bowling against a match-up like Axar. It is somewhat odd that you did not offer your finest spinner, who is currently the best in the competition, a bigger opportunity, as he just bowled one over in a day game.

Given that Rashid isn’t playing at his best, GT skipper Shubman Gill may need to do his part to keep Sai Kishore’s confidence up.

“One of the biggest things as a spinner is the knowledge of your captain backing you in situations,” Boucher stated. “Unfortunately, there are situations when you will have to bowl against a left-hander. Additionally, you are under strain. “As a captain, you can tell him, ‘Listen, I know it’s a match you don’t like, but you’re actually bowling really well, picking up wickets, so just bowl your best ball to him; you’re clever enough to bowl balls and deliveries that are going to make it tough for him to hit.'”

Gill didn’t think so that day. Who can doubt the plan when they ultimately prevailed to take the top spot at the table?

“Prasidh is bowling with good heat,” said Boucher.

Prasidh is the bowler who is only responding to GT. After going wicketless in his first game, he has gone on to become a star and a reliable member of an attack that is frequently switched up depending on the situation. He briefly deviated from his plan to bowl into the pitch on Saturday and bowled one of the tournament’s deliveries, hitting KL Rahul with an inswinging yorker and catching the batter leg before wicket.

“He appears to have excellent rhythm. Although he is strong at hitting the pitch, Rayudu claimed that the ball he delivered to KL Rahul was unexpected and moved precisely at the end. “He has a lot of variations and his slower ball is also very effective. He surprised KL Rahul.” He is, in my opinion, a fantastic future possibility for both GT and India.

After missing a significant amount of time due to an injury, Prasidh made a spectacular return earlier this year in the Sydney Test match against Australia, taking six wickets, and hasn’t looked back.

“With Siraj on his squad, I believe he truly enjoys bowling. As a kind of wicket-taker, he relieves him of some of the pressure,” Boucher remarked. “He is moving more quickly. His height clearly gives him good bounce. When he delivers, he also gets nice and tight to off-stump. Therefore, the ball doesn’t need to do much.

“KL’s ball swung sufficiently, but not too much. He’s bowling with good heat, has strong release points, and is in a wonderful position right now. It’s also great for GT to have a person who isn’t taking the new ball but is coming in the middle overs and taking wickets for them. I think he’s quite confident right now.”