KUALA LUMPUR: Things might be uphill for Sharvin Muniandy in Nepal's Everest Premier League (EPL) but the Malaysian cricketer has learned much from it.
The all-rounder was among four foreign players recruited by Bhairahawa Gladiators for the EPL.
However, Sharvin was not as established as Bangladeshi Tamim Iqbal, and Sri Lankans Upul Tharanga and Dhammika Prasad, the other three foreigners in Bhairahawa. EPL rules allow only three foreign players to be fielded for an EPL game.
Tamim, who is considered Bangladesh's best opening batsman, has scored more than 14,000 runs and 25 centuries in total in all formats of the game. A veteran of 64 Tests and 219 one-day Internationals (ODI), he had played 78 T20 international matches.
Former Sri Lanka ODI captain Upul
had played 31 Tests and 235 ODIs with a total of 18 centuries while Dhammika had taken more than 100 wickets in both formats.
It was not easy for Sharvin to break into the team, and he got to play just one match - after Tamim suffered an injury just before the eliminator against Pokhara Rhinos last week.
In that match, Sharvin scored only three runs in a seven-wicket defeat which saw Bhairahawa missing the final.
Chitwan Tigers, who had Malaysian Virandeep Singh, won the EPL final, beating Pokhara by four wickets on Saturday.
"Being part of the EPL is already like a dream come true for me. Playing and training with three cricket legends was indeed a great experience for me. The EPL has been full of positives and I have learnt so much here," said Sharvin.
"Tamim, Dhammika and Upul are great players and they taught me a lot.
"Upul told me that a batsman should have a target going into the match, going for a century or a 50, so that you are focused on your goal.
"Cricket is always 70 per cent mental and 30 per cent physical, and I have seen how these players handle the pressure and deliver.
"Sometimes, you learn more in a difficult situation and I felt that... batting against Pokhara. This experience will shape me into a better batsman," he added.
The confidence gained by both Virandeep and Sharvin in the EPL is expected to help Malaysia's cause. The national team will be competing in the T20 World Cup Asian qualifiers (Nov 9-15) and 2023 World Cup qualifiers (December) at Kinrara Oval.
