Gujarat Titans allrounder Shivam Mavi has warned opposition batsmen that he will have a “special delivery” up his sleeve in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

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Shivam Mavi: I have planned a special delivery for this IPL

“I have planned a special delivery for this IPL, will not mention here what it is but hopefully I am able to execute it and then I will talk about it. I am at 99 percent with it, the work is still in progress,” Mavi said.

Mavi has put in the hard yards to overcome some major fitness concerns

The allrounder also said that he has put in the hard yards to overcome some major fitness concerns and has beefed up his batting. He also mentioned that he has benefitted enormously by playing domestic cricket.

Focussed a lot on my batting over the last two years

“I have focussed a lot on my batting over the last two years, and I have improved a lot as well. I am trying to work as hard as possible to be useful to my team. I have focussed on managing my workload. Since I am able to maintain that, I am playing cricket regularly,” he said.

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I have worked on my hitting

I have worked on my hitting. I always used to bat well but could not hit those sixes easily. I have worked very hard on that and have got some good returns too. I have also put in a lot of work on my fitness. My glutes and core were weak, but now I am feeling very strong,” Mavi added.

IPL champions Gujarat Titans for Rs 6 crore in the IPL mini-auction last year

Mavi, who was a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, did not get much game time and played just 32 matches over four seasons from 2018 to 2022. He was bought by the reigning IPL champions Gujarat Titans for Rs 6 crore in the IPL mini-auction last year.

Mavi had put in some good performances for the national side too, including 4/22 in the first T20I of the series against Sri Lanka and a quickfire 26 with the bat in the next match.

Shivam Mavi is a perfect package

His childhood coach insisted that he is a player for the long term and has the capacity to play every format. “Shivam Mavi is a perfect package. I have seen many bowlers rise the ladder during my coaching career but the qualities of Mavi stand out. I haven’t seen that skill set. Besides being a good bowler, he is a good batsman and an exceptional fielder who can field at covers, slips, and deep… Wo lambi race ka ghoda hai and saare format khelega… (Mavi is the horse for the long journey and will play all formats). I hope he plays Test cricket in the next 1-2 years,” Mavi’s coach Phoolchand Sharma told News18 Cricketnext in an exclusive interview.

Mavi praised Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya and coach Ashish Nehra for the support that they provided. “Hardik bhai never pressurizes young players; he only backs them,” he revealed, and called Nehra “a proper friend”.

Gujarat Titans will kick off their title defense against four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on March 31.