Chennai, September 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Reaching 100 first-class appearances once seemed like a distant dream for Karnataka leg-spin bowling all-rounder Shreyas Gopal. Having achieved the milestone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy final, he now has another objective — demonstrating that leg-spinners can continue to play a key role in red-ball cricket.
Gopal and veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami completed their 100-match first-class milestones during Sunday’s Duleep Trophy final between South Zone and East Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
“Definitely not, but everyone dreams of playing for the country, playing 100 First-Class games. It’s a very special achievement and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. I’m very happy about this,” Gopal told reporters after the opening day’s play.
His career received a fresh boost after returning to Karnataka following a stint with Kerala in 2024. During the previous Ranji Trophy season, Gopal was the third-highest wicket-taker with 48 wickets and also scored five half-centuries.
“I put in a lot of work, especially on bowling. I was told that there are not too many leg-spinners who have played upwards of 30-50 games. I wanted to make a point to show that leg-spinners can play red-ball cricket and still be successful,” he said.
Gopal said bowling had required years of dedicated work, while batting came more naturally to him after growing up as a batsman.
Reflecting on his development, he said the biggest change in his bowling has been tactical, particularly learning to use the crease, assess match situations and decide when to attack or defend.
“Most times it will come off, sometimes, like today, it is not going to come off. But as long as you go in with a plan, as long as you try and achieve something with a goal, it at least gives you a sense of direction,” he said.
Gopal went wicketless for 77 runs in 19 overs on the opening day but stressed the importance of maintaining emotional balance through the highs and lows of cricket.
He said players must avoid getting carried away by success and should not become overly disappointed when things do not go their way, adding that the same level of hard work must be maintained in both situations.
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