IPL 2025: Vaibhav Arora credits Dwayne Bravo, Bharat Arun for improved death bowling
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fast bowler Vaibhav Arora has credited Dwayne Bravo and Bharat Arun for helping him sharpen his death bowling skills. The 27-year-old has been in fine form in IPL 2025, currently standing as KKR's second-highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of 9.30.This season has been Vaibhav's best in the IPL so far, surpassing his performance in 2024 where he picked up 11 wickets from 10 matches. Reflecting on his progress, the pacer said he realised the importance of improving his death-over bowling after last season.advertisementVaibhav revealed that he began working on his variations with Bharat Arun during domestic cricket, and later received further guidance from Dwayne Bravo after joining the Knight Riders.'Bravo's experience has taught me a lot'
"Sir, as you must have seen, last year I bowled more with the new ball and didn't bowl as much in the death overs. So, this year, after the IPL ended last year, I decided that while I already bowl with the new ball, I should work equally on bowling with the old ball too. I did a lot of death bowling in domestic matches, and I performed quite well for my team, the Himachal team,' Vaibhav said in an interview with Sports Today.Also Read: Did MS Dhoni play one season too many in IPL 2025? Sunil Gavaskar weighs inadvertisement'Then, after performing well in domestic cricket, we had a pre-season camp in Mumbai. There, I focused a lot on death bowling, and Bharat sir was with me. He helped me a lot in improving my yorkers, slower balls, and slower bouncers—like when to use them, on which kind of pitch, and how to adapt and utilise each skill properly. Especially, we worked a lot on yorkers—setting up cones in the practice sessions and working hard on them,' Vaibhav said.'Then, before the IPL started, we had a camp here, and I got to meet DJ (Dwayne Bravo), one of the best death bowlers. I worked with him on death bowling, and the experience he shared with me taught me a lot. That's helping me now in the IPL—you can see that 'I'm bowling well not just with the new ball, but also in the death overs. So, the credit goes to Bharat sir and also to DJ. They've been really helpful,' Vaibhav added.So far, Vaibhav has featured in 29 IPL matches, picking up 31 wickets at an economy rate of 9.22. His best figures—3 for 29 in four overs—came against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.advertisementWith the playoff race heating up, Vaibhav will play a key role as KKR faces a do-or-die situation. The team must win all four of their remaining matches to strengthen their chances of securing a top-four finish.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Must Watch
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