"My kids have already started playing the Dilscoop. My son is playing it better than me," Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lankan batsman after whom the scoop shot over the wicketkeeper is named, quipped.
One of the innovations in modern batting, Dilscoop is a shot that has not only got him a lot of runsbut also helped him bag the Man of the Tournament award in the 2009 edition of the ICC World T20, where Sri Lanka finished as runners-up.
Narrating the necessity for the innovation, he said, "In the 2009 edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League), everyone played paddle sweep. But they could place a fielder to stop that. I wanted to put a little bit more behind the wicketkeeper, that's why I played one shot against Deccan Chargers. (Adam) Gilchrist was behind the stumps. After I played that shot, he was upset and went back.Following that, I felt more easy to go down the track and hit."
"I went to Sri Lanka and practiced for one month from tennis ball just before the World Cup. After I practiced, I became more confident. In the first game of the tournament, I tried the shot against Shane Watson and it went for a six," he added at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday (March 10).
Having lived under the shadows of the achievements of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara for nearly a decade, Dilshan has now the onus of helping an inexperienced Sri Lankan side defend the ICC World T20 title in the most unlikeliest of circumstances.
Not only have Sri Lanka lost two of its most successful and experienced batsmen to retirement, but the injury to Lasith Malinga has dented their chances going into the tournament furthermore. A poor run of form, a new captain and changes in the selection panel has made their plans all the more unstable. However, the opening batsman doesn't think there will be additional responsibility on him.
"(My role remains the) Same. I have been opening since 2009 and I am going to continue doing the same thing, no change. If I play that shot - Dilscoop and some reverse sweeps, I can make the bowlers think twice. I am not going to change anything, since 2009 I've played (like that) and found success."
Despite the lack of experience in the Sri Lankan ranks, the 39-year old sounded optimistic about the team's chances to punch above their weight yet again in a World Cup.
"We came here to win the World Cup, no doubt about that. We've come to play good cricket starting from tomorrow (when Sri Lanka take on New Zealand in a warm-up match). We have a lot of experience (playing in India), playing IPL, other tournaments as well."
"Just before the World Cup we played three T20s against India. This is good for the youngsters. As few senior guys are touring, we know how to adjust to wickets and conditions." CRICBUZZ
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