‘Experience helps a lot’: Purple Cap holder Deepak Gohain reflects on Guwahati Royals’ top spot

Guwahati, Aug 11 (IANS) Purple Cap holder Deepak Gohain credited his experience for adapting to different conditions after his heroics with the ball helped Guwahati Royals beat Dibrugarh Warriors and reach the top of the Assam Premier League (APL) 2026 Points table on Monday.

Gohain has been one of the standout performers with the ball in the tournament and currently leads the bowling charts with 12 wickets from five matches. The left-arm spinner has an economy rate of exactly 5.00 and an average of 8.33, with best figures of 3/11.

“Experience helps a lot. When you are playing a big tournament like this, the experience is useful in match situations. You can understand how to bowl on which wicket, how to bowl to which batsman, and that helps the team as well,” Gohain said, reflecting on his consistency.

For Gohain, the victory over Dibrugarh Warriors was particularly significant as the Royals had never previously beaten the side.

“It’s been a big boost for the team. We executed our plans in this contest, and we’ve been focusing on doing the basics right. That helped us get the win against Dibrugarh,” he said.

The 33-year-old also explained the approach that has helped him make an impact with the ball, pointing to variation and accuracy as key elements of his bowling.

“My mindset is simple. I try to keep varying my bowling, especially because pace variation is very important on this wicket. If you can do that properly and hit the right length, as a bowler, you get help from the wicket,” he said.

“The one thing that has worked consistently for me is cramping the batters for room to get the better of them.”

Gohain also credited the collective effort of the Royals, who have won four of their five matches and are now firmly in contention for the title.

“The team’s performance has been really good. We have won 4 out of 5 matches now. So, the morale of the team is high. Our aim is to build on this and keep winning matches,” he said.

The spinner further praised the coaching staff for maintaining a calm environment in the dressing room, allowing players to focus on their individual roles without feeling unnecessary pressure.

“Our coach is doing a brilliant job to ensure that the dugout always remains calm. That enables the players to play more freely and focus on what their role is. So, as players, we just focus on that,” he said.

The result took Guwahati Royals to eight points from five matches, with the side edging Dibrugarh Warriors on Net Run Rate at the top of the standings. Both teams have now registered four wins from five matches.

With Guwahati Royals now sitting at the top of the standings, Gohain insisted that the team is not looking too far ahead and is instead focused on taking the tournament one game at a time.

“We are taking it one match at a time. We don’t want to look too far ahead. That’s the message from our coaches and the support staff. The captain ensures that the team’s mindset remains aligned and there is no pressure on anyone,” he concluded.

–IANS

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