‘I was ready to bowl in those pressure moments’

Bangla Press Desk:   A few years ago, a national selector looked at a young Ripon Mondol and remarked, “Look at him. He is all over the place.” The assessment wasn’t unfair — Ripon’s alignment at the crease lacked stability. But the left-arm pacer rebuilt himself, working tirelessly on strengthening his base, staying solid at the crease, and channeling momentum straight toward the target.

Bangla Press DOLLER spoke to Ripon following his standout Asia Cup Rising Stars campaign, where he discussed his bowling evolution, the influence of captain Akbar Ali, and the work behind his consistency in pressure situations.

Bangla Press: How do you reflect on the Asia Cup Rising Stars campaign?

Ripon Mondol: Alhamdulillah. Overall, the way we played as a team — and individually — everyone performed really well. Even though we couldn’t click in the final, the tournament was very good for us. Personally, I’m happy with the way I started and the way I finished. Allah blessed the hard work I put in. If our team performance had been slightly better in the final, it would have been even more satisfying. We were good throughout; in the final it was just a matter of luck. 

Bangla Press: You have bowled in the toughest phases — powerplay, death overs, even super overs. Akbar Ali has consistently trusted you. How do you take that responsibility?

Ripon: As a frontline bowler, you must take leadership in those moments. I felt I was doing well from that perspective. Since I’ve done many camps and played a lot with Akbar bhai, he knows my strengths. When he asked me to stay ready for those situations, the management backed me as well. I had already played the Top End T20 and the previous Asia Cup with that mindset, so I was ready for those pressure overs. Alhamdulillah, it went well. The trust from the captain and the management means a lot — contributing in those moments feels very good.

Bangla Press: Akbar said giving you freedom brings out your best. How do you see that?

Ripon: From our U-19 days, I’ve had a very good personal relationship with him. As a captain, he knows what I’m used to. We trained and played together for so long that the trust he developed in me came from consistent performances. When he sees that I can execute and believe in myself, he trusts me fully. He always says, “We know what you can do. Just back yourself — the team is with you.”

Bangla Press: Executing yorkers in pressure situations — how tough is that? A slight error can go for runs.

Ripon: Yorker is that kind of delivery — if you’re not 100 percent accurate, it can go for four or six. You have to fully believe in what you’re about to bowl. Once I make up my mind, I stick to it — I don’t keep a second option in my head during the run-up. Alhamdulillah, Allah helped me execute under pressure. I’ve been working on this since U-19 — Talha sir was there, then Dollar bhai in HP, Tarek bhai, and especially Bari bhai from the HP bowling department. They always supported me in yorker training. I’m really grateful to them.

Bangla Press: Your alignment at the crease looks much straighter now.

Ripon: Yes, we worked on this recently in HP. Earlier I used to fall a bit sideways. After watching old videos, I also feel that now I am much straighter — almost like a stump.

BP/TD