IPL 9: Fights bring out the best in Adam Zampa

Mumbai: Adam Zampa is close to Shane Warne but not Warne; he doesn’t have that brutal flight in the air. He skids and drags the batsmen after setting them up cunningly. But the 24-year-old, considered as Australia’s answer to yesteryear great Warne, picked up six wickets for 19 runs raising the stakes in the T20 format.

Zampa – who only played his second match for Rising Pune Supergiants – needed three overs to rattle Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen, thus finishing with the best figures for a leg-spinner in the history of the T20 format, albeit for a losing cause.

The youngster didn’t get enough game time in the tournament despite praises but he delivered when it mattered.

Read: Who are they? Zampa on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers

He picked up Kane Williamson, AB de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh.

"It's always nice to be able to express yourself in front of the world. The IPL is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and it is great place to prove yourself; hopefully, more people will see how much I love the contest and I'm not too fazed about what is in front of me,” Zampa told cricket.com.au.

Googly is the sharpest weapon in Zampa’s armoury and he used it in full swing in the shorter boundaries.

Video| Khawaja cuddles teammate Zampa’s buttock

However, Zampa said he isn’t the most talented around yet; he wants to push himself.

“I love a fight and I think that brings out the best in me,” the report added.

Australia skipper Steve Smith faced a bit of criticism for under-bowling Zampa in the ICC World Twenty20 but the spinner has no regrets.

"I'm not really fussed about that. He (Smith) is smart guy and knows the game well. T20 is fast game and it is a split-second decision of whom you want to bowl and I guess at that second Smithy went with his gut decision and thought now is probably not the right time. I don't even know if it would change the result of the match. It's happened now it's time to move on,” said Zampa in the report.