New Delhi, Dec 22 : Sakib Hussain was at Biharâ??s Vijay Hazare Trophy camp in Patna when Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him for his base price of Rs 30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction. The move marks the start of a new IPL chapter for Hussain, the right-arm pacer who tasted championship glory with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024, though he didnâ??t get to play a single game.

"At the time of the auction, we were at the Vijay Hazare Trophy camp in Patna. When SRH picked me, I felt really good because the things where I had my shortcomings, I did improve on them during the IPL and implemented that in domestic games. I have made sure to leave no stone unturned in overcoming those shortcomings and do well whenever a chance comes to play in the tournament," said Hussain in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Hussainâ??s path of coming back to the IPL involved trials with Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and KKR before SRH got him in the auction. Shortly after that, he received an encouraging call from the franchise's bowling coach and former India pacer Varun Aaron.

"Varun Aaron told me to get ready and that I have to do well and move ahead by working hard. On hearing this, first of all, I thanked him and the SRH team for taking me in. He replied back by telling me that this is just the fruit of your hardwork."

Despite not getting a game in IPL 2024, Hussainâ??s time with KKR proved invaluable, as the Gopalganj native got masterclass from some of cricket's biggest names like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh and coach Abhishek Nayar.

"All of them taught me a lot of good things. Like, the way they planned, playing with a different mindset on match day, and how to judge a player, I got to learn a lot of things there," he said.

Hussain also learnt a valuable lesson in KKR - that physical talent alone wouldn't separate the good from the great at a higher level. "In my time of being in KKR, one big thing I learnt was cricket is a mind game. The one who thinks well plays well on the field.

â??Everyone is talented, but the one who thinks well, plays well. In the IPL, on a daily basis, you have to think and plan about what to do. Sometimes you have to change your plan in seconds and I got to learn about how to do that."

Hussainâ??s journey traces back to humble beginnings at Tunna Giri Cricket Academy in Gopalganj, where coach Robin Singh became his pillar of support through every high and low.

"People like Saket bhaiya, Kumar bhaiya at the academy have supported me. My coach Robin Singh is the most special person in my life. He has helped me through ups and downs, as well as been in my good and bad times. Heâ??s supported me a lot," he said.

He also credited the Bihar Cricket Association leadership - President Harsh Vardhan, Rakesh Tiwari, and Secretary Rahul - for creating pathways that helped a small-town cricketer like him to play at the highest level. "They all have helped me in going from playing in a small town to such a big stage. They have supported me a lot and I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

Looking ahead to his stint with SRH, Hussain is eager to learn from captain Pat Cummins and other international stars in the setup. "In IPL, you get a good coach and mentor who can guide you well. But everywhere you go, the main interest is in playing at any given opportunity and that aids your growth. In the Hyderabad team, a lot of legendary players like skipper Pat Cummins are present, as I will get to learn a lot and carry those lessons very well."

Hussainâ??s bustling pace in his domestic performances caught the attention of IPL scouts, particularly a remarkable 10-wicket haul against Arunachal Pradesh in the first half of Ranji Trophy and taking six wickets in Biharâ??s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy league games in Kolkata.

"In matches, I just keep things simple and focus on what I want to do, which was to pick timely breakthroughs. It also helps that I never think too far and keep focus on doing things in the present moment in the match."

Hussainâ??s re-entry into IPL reflects a broader resurgence in Biharâ??s cricket, where the likes of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and fellow pacer Mohammad Izhar are also having IPL deals. "You can see that Bihar has such good players like me, Vaibhav, Izhar and many other talented players, so it's going well. If we talk about cricket in Bihar, there is a very good environment and that's why so many players are coming out and many great cricketers will come in future."

Having experienced the euphoria of an IPL title with KKR, Hussain signed off by saying heâ??s hungry to recreate that success in SRH colours. "Definitely we will try to become the winning team again in the IPL next year. It will be very good to have a picture there with the trophy again on my Instagram profile. I am very excited to learn a lot and do well to win the trophy for SRH this time."

/IANS