Dhawal Kulkarni is the toughest bowler I have faced: Parag Khanapurkar

The southpaw feels the Mumbai veteran’s vast experience gives him the edge.

All-rounder Parag Khanapurkar has revealed that fellow Mumbaikar and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs pacer Dhawal Kulkarni is the most difficult bowler he has ever faced.

During an Instagram Live hosted by Cricfit, Parag Khanapurkar was asked to name the most challenging bowler he has gone up against. The SoBo SuperSonics’ all-rounder picked Dhawal Kulkarni as the bowler that has troubled him the most.

“Dhawal Kulkarni is a very good bowler and I have played against him even in T20 Mumbai. He doesn’t give you a chance to hit. I think he was the toughest to face,” admitted Parag Khanapurkar.

Parag Khanapurkar, since making his debut for the Mumbai state team in 2010, has faced numerous bowlers in his decade-long career but feels Dhawal Kulkarni’s variations give him the edge.

“I never felt he is a predictable bowler. Even by looking at the field, you feel it’s a predictable thing. He is going to bowl you a slower one or a yorker but he is not easy to hit.

“He is very unpredictable,” he insisted.

Interestingly, Parag Khanapurkar went face to face against Dhawal Kulkarni in the league stage match between SoBo SuperSonics and Aakash Tigers and it was the bowler that came out on top in the duel.

“I found him very difficult in T20 Mumbai. He is very smart in choosing what kind of deliveries he needs to bowl because I think he has got massive experience playing for Ranji and for IPL as well,” he pointed out.

Parag Khanapurkar fell victim to Dhawal Kulkarni’s clever change of pace, hitting the slower delivery high without giving it the distance, and the ball that was intended to cross the boundary line ended up in the safe hands of Arjun Tendulkar.

Eyes on the prize

Parag Khanapurkar made a memorable debut for SoBo SuperSonics with a blazingly-fast 96 off just 49 deliveries, hammering ten fours and five sixes on the way. He ended the season as the fifth-highest run-getter with 229 runs in seven matches.

Having lost the second season’s title decider, the 34-year-old said he had some unfinished business in T20 Mumbai.

“The next thing for me is to get the cup for SoBo. Right now my only dream is to win the trophy for SoBo SuperSonics,” he asserted.

“I am pretty confident that if we have the same core and the same kind of atmosphere, I have got a gut feeling that the next T20 Mumbai will be won by SoBo SuperSonics,” he reckoned.

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