New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has outlined his game plan against Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening fixture in IPL 2026.
Seifert comes up against a familiar foe, as the Kolkata Knight Riders take on the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in their season opener on March 29. In the finals of the recently concluded T20 World Cup, New Zealand were bundled out for 159 and suffered a 96-run loss, with Seifert the only batter who showed resistance with a gritty half-century. Bumrah ran through the Kiwi batting line-up, recording figures of 4/15 in a Player-of-the-Match performance.
Seifert believes that the key to facing a bowler like Bumrah is to take out the name of the bowler and play the ball. Focussing on the ball would put the batter in a better mindset to play.
“Yeah, Bumrah’s the best bowler in the world at the moment, so you’ve got to respect him. But at the same time, I think you just got to sometimes take away the name and react to that ball coming down. If you can put away the name that you’re facing and just react to the ball, that will put you in a better mindset than potentially playing Bumrah. So, I think that’s one aspect as well,” he told the Telegraph.
Ahead of their clash against a star-studded Mumbai Indians team, the 31-year-old believes that it is the same mantra that is going to help him handle the pressure that comes with the occasion.
“If you play the names, you’ll then get caught up in the headlights and put pressure on yourself. If you narrow it down, you take that pressure off yourself and just worry about how you go about the game, then that’s straightaway pressure off you. As I said, you’ve got to respect those players for who they are. But at the same time, you’ve just got to look to react and worry about that white ball coming down,” he added.
This will be Seifert's second stint with KKR, after 2021. The New Zealand opener has made three appearances in the IPL so far, with a solitary one coming for the Knight Riders.
