RR vs KKR IPL 2022: In a recent interview, Rajasthan Royals batsman Shimron Hetmyer described his wife, Nirvani, as his “greatest instructor,” praising her for helping him develop greater patience while hitting and improve his consistency over the previous few months. It was Nirvani who urged him to spend extra time at the crease at the start of his innings, which the West Indian said did wonders for his performance.

Hetmyer, a prodigal talent, seemed to be on the verge of irrelevance in the lead-up to the IPL 2022, getting snubbed by the national team and facing doubts about his form and temperament. However, he managed to turn things around in time for the tournament. The Royals, on the other hand, put a lot of faith in him, bidding 8.5 crore rupees for the 25-year-old during the auction. The southpaw has defied all odds to score 233 runs in nine matches with a strike rate of 159.59. Thus, demonstrating his ability to rise above any criticism.

What did Hetmeyer say?

Hetmyer, speaking ahead of RR’s encounter against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday at the Wankhade Stadium, said that the quick turnaround was due to him having more time to examine the circumstances. When asked who had encouraged him to do so, the 25-year-old responded by mentioning his wife. He said the following to the host broadcaster, Star Sports:

“Giving myself a second opportunity is all that it comes down to for me. For the first two years of my professional life, I didn’t allow myself to settle down and establish a foundation from which to operate. But this year and last, I felt like I should be allowing myself to simply observe what the pitch is doing, see a couple of balls, and then start hitting. It was a good decision for me. And I believe it has been effective for me so far.”

Hetmyer went on to say: “It wasn’t anything I could recall well. I’m very sure I received part of that from my wife, who is arguably my greatest cheerleader and coach. [And who is his most vocal detractor?] Yes, the majority of the time! It was a concept that we came up with ourselves. ‘Just give yourself a couple of balls to see what is going here. Even if you don’t get out, we can say that you gave yourself an opportunity.’ she said. That is something I have tried to include in my game, and so far it has worked out well.”

His achievements this season have cemented his reputation as a capable finisher. He may even have placed his claim to replace the recently retired Kieran Pollard in the Windies’ batting order as a result of his efforts.

RR vs KKR IPL 2022: Shimron Hetmyer has shown an interest in learning the reverse sweep from Jos Buttler

When asked to select the lessons he would want to take away from the Royals’ leading scorer and current Orange Cap holder, Jos Buttler, Hetmyer pointed to the Englishman’s unconventional reverse sweep and scoop shots as the most important. 

“To be quite honest, there are just too many things to keep track of right now. One thing I’d want to learn is how to reverse sweep, which is something I’ve never done before. I’ve tried and tried and tried again in practice. But I keep being struck rather than hitting the ball in the right place. In my opinion, he’s been incredible to see thus far. From the outside, I’ve found it enjoyable to see him. It’s even better when I’m batting alongside him because it makes my life a whole lot simpler overall.”