{"id":152136,"date":"2026-04-07T01:23:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=152136"},"modified":"2026-04-07T01:23:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:53:53","slug":"ipl-2026-punjab-kings-seamer-ben-dwarshuis-discusses-the-grind-adaptability-and-challenges-in-t20-cricket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newslink360.space\/?p=152136","title":{"rendered":"IPL 2026: Punjab Kings seamer Ben Dwarshuis discusses the grind, adaptability and challenges in T20 cricket"},"content":{"rendered":"


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In the ever-evolving landscape of Twenty20 cricket, adaptability is currency. And Ben Dwarshuis, having learned to adjust lengths, angles, and pace variations to suit vastly different conditions, has built his career on exactly that.<\/p>\n

Having carved a niche across global leagues, the Australian left-arm seamer now brings a blend of experience and tactical awareness to the high-pressure environment of the Indian Premier League (IPL).<\/p>\n

In an exclusive interview with Sportstar<\/i>, the 31-year-old, wearing the golden crest of Punjab Kings (PBKS), discusses the nuances of death bowling, the value of match-ups, and the constant evolution required to stay relevant in modern cricket.<\/p>\n

Q: You\u2019ve built your reputation across leagues like the Big Bash. How has that shaped you as a T20 specialist?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Not only the Big Bash, but also playing other leagues around the world sort of allows you to learn and adapt your game to different conditions. It\u2019s no different here. The wickets are obviously different from what they are back home. So, trying to learn, adapt, and work out the best ways to get results over here.<\/p>\n

Q: Left-arm seam is a rare commodity. How consciously do you use favourable angles against right-handed-heavy lineups?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>It\u2019s a key part. It\u2019s one thing that, as you said, there are not a lot of left-armers. So, it\u2019s one point of difference that you do have, which you can use to your advantage. You\u2019d probably be missing a trick if you weren\u2019t trying to exploit that in a way against particular batters where it matches up.<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s your go-to variation at the death when batters are set?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Change of pace. Trying to bowl yorkers, both wide and straight. As I said before, it\u2019s about being adaptable. For each batter, you\u2019re obviously going to have different plans. Some batters are really strong at waiting on slow balls and hitting that. So, you might bowl a few more yorkers at them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about doing your research before the game, understanding possible matchups that you\u2019re going to have at the back end, and then just being really clear and executing your plans once you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n
Ben Dwarshuis has played six ODIs and 15 T20Is for Australia, taking 33 wickets across formats in white-ball cricket at the international level.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Reuters\n <\/p>\n

\"lightbox-info\"\/<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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Ben Dwarshuis has played six ODIs and 15 T20Is for Australia, taking 33 wickets across formats in white-ball cricket at the international level.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Reuters\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Q: How do you adapt between Australian conditions and Indian pitches? The difference is especially stark when it comes to T20 league cricket…<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Having conversations with some of the Indian players, whether it\u2019s Shreyas (Iyer) or even James Hopes, our bowling coach, who\u2019s been here a few years now. I\u2019ve been drawing on their experiences\u2014what they\u2019ve seen has worked\u2014and then trying to implement those in the nets.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s the particular length that you need to bowl or whether it\u2019s a big change of pace with these slower balls or if it\u2019s faster cutters into the wicket\u2026 just experimenting and seeing what works on a day-to-day basis. Obviously, you are also getting feedback from other coaches about what they\u2019re seeing as well. And then, yeah, working out the best plan to try and limit as many runs as possible.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ | The Space Between:\u00a0Vyshak Vijaykumar\u00a0on a journey to find himself<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Q: PBKS already has a menacing left-arm option in Arshdeep Singh. How do you see your role complementing him?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>We played alongside each other in a practice game the other day. The beauty of a practice game is the relaxed nature. So it was nice to, in the moment, speak to Arshdeep about what he\u2019s thinking and what his plans are. So, you know, obviously trying to learn from him. You know, he\u2019s got an incredible record playing in India and all around the world.<\/p>\n

So, anything that I can pick up from him will be greatly beneficial. If there were three or four right-armers in one team, no one would raise a question. So, I guess it\u2019s no different if there are going to be two or three left-armers in a team.<\/p>\n

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Australian pacer Ben Dwarshuis will play for Punjab Kings next year!#IPLAuction<\/a> | live updates \u27a1\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/SU6pmrzrU3<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/zgJFUWhW0u<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sportstar (@sportstarweb) December 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

So yeah, just trying to complement him, even if that means that I need to bowl a bit more around the wicket or something to change angle at certain times depending on ground dimensions or whatever it may be.<\/p>\n

I think that at almost 32 years of age, I\u2019ve sort of experienced a lot of different roles and can sort of try and fit in wherever I\u2019m needed. So, I\u2019ll try and bring that over the next couple of months.<\/p>\n

Q: With multiple overseas all-rounders in the squad, how do you ensure you remain a first-choice pick?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Yeah, it\u2019s hard. I guess it starts at training. Bowling well, batting well, getting your fielding done. It\u2019s trying to be an all-round package and showing the coaches and captain what you can do day in, day out. And then if you do get an opportunity in the XI, it\u2019s obviously going to be some tough competition to retain a spot with the squad that we have. So when you do get an opportunity, it\u2019s about performing well and making it really hard to sort of miss out at the selection table.<\/p>\n

Q: So, have you been trying to have a go with the bat as well inside the nets here?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Trying to; it\u2019s tough to get a hit. It\u2019s a big squad, and everybody likes to try and hit for as long as possible, but it\u2019s been nice to have a few sessions. I guess it\u2019s about trying and impressing a few people now. Doing what you can to not only show what you can do but also become a better cricketer.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n
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Ben Dwarshuis has batted in over 100 innings in franchise cricket, and has an average strike rate of 161.715.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Punjab Kings\n <\/p>\n

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Ben Dwarshuis has batted in over 100 innings in franchise cricket, and has an average strike rate of 161.715.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n Punjab Kings\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Q: If given the Impact Player role, do you prepare differently when compared to being a starter?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>I mean, for my particular role, I don\u2019t think so. If I\u2019m going to be an impact player, it\u2019s going to be coming in to bowl my four overs, which is my main skill anyway. So, for any game, that\u2019s what I\u2019m going to be preparing to do\u2014whether it\u2019s as an impact player or as a starting player. So, no real difference there.<\/p>\n

On game day, preparation is a little bit different. When you\u2019re not starting, you might have to alter how you go about gameday. But apart from that, I think, you know, all the lead-in and the preps should be pretty similar.<\/p>\n

Q: How do you plan for batters who line you up early\u2014do you stick to plans or change quickly?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>It\u2019s game situation-dependent. If it\u2019s 15 and over to win, you might hold a little bit longer. If it\u2019s a bit tighter, you might need to try and change something up a bit sooner. So, I think in general, you go into the game with, you know, not only plan A, but you\u2019ve also got plans B and C.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve only got 24 balls to bowl as a bowler. So, you\u2019ve got to be pretty quick in changing according to what the batter is doing. And sometimes it\u2019s as simple as thinking if a batter has got the edge over you, just using the best ball to get his wicket.<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s the toughest phase to bowl in during the IPL\u2014PowerPlay, Middle Overs, or Death?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Look, I like bowling in the PowerPlay. It\u2019s obviously a nice challenge and one that brings wickets, but it can also bring a lot of runs. But when the ball\u2019s moving, I can swing the ball. So, trying to use that skill to the best of my advantage.<\/p>\n

After that, I\u2019m happy to bowl anywhere, whether it\u2019s two at the top and then one in the middle, one at the end, or two and two, whatever the split may be. Yeah, it\u2019s about being ready to go whenever they decide to throw the ball to you.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ | Shreyas Iyer takes Punjab Kings to five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Q: Opportunities to be in Australia\u2019s T20I XI haven\u2019t come as often as you would have wanted them to. Is that something that constantly plays on your mind?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>No, I wouldn\u2019t say that constantly plays on my mind. It\u2019s been a real privilege over the last couple of years to play as much T20 cricket for Australia as I have. There have been some mixed results along the way. There are a few balls that I\u2019d like back. But all in all, obviously, the Australian cricket team\u2019s a very strong side and one that\u2019s tough to get into.<\/p>\n

\"Ben<\/p>\n
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Ben Dwarshuis has played 15 T20Is for Australia, taking 22 wickets at an average of 24.36.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n K. Murali Kumar\n <\/p>\n

\"lightbox-info\"\/<\/figcaption><\/div>\n

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Ben Dwarshuis has played 15 T20Is for Australia, taking 22 wickets at an average of 24.36.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n K. Murali Kumar\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So competition\u2019s fierce, and there are a handful of bowlers who are all vying for a similar spot and role. What\u2019s happened in the past has gone, and now I\u2019m just trying to put good performances on the board going forward to try and continue to push my case for selection.<\/p>\n

Q: Do you feel overseas players need to offer more versatility now to secure a place in an IPL XI?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Yeah. You\u2019re always going to have to try and improve your game. It\u2019s obviously such strong competition, and the local Indian players are so strong; there\u2019s a world where you could play only two or three overseas players and have a strong team anyway. So, competition\u2019s fierce, and you\u2019re always going to need to be getting better.<\/p>\n

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From Down Under to Sadda Den! \ud83d\udeec\ud83c\udfe0<\/p>\n

Ben Dwarshuis & Mitchell Owen have checked in! pic.twitter.com\/UvmwJfegld<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) March 21, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

The power hitting at the end is something that I\u2019ve worked on a lot over the last 12-24 months. So, adding that string to my bow along with my bowling hopefully makes me a better prospect to be selected. But if you\u2019re not in that initial 12, it\u2019s just about training hard and continuing to try to impress the people who pick the teams, and hopefully you get your chance and then take it.<\/p>\n

Q: T20 cricket is evolving fast and becoming more batter-friendly. Where do you think bowlers still have an edge?<\/b><\/p>\n

A: <\/b>Good question. The fans all want to see high-scoring games. They\u2019re the most exciting ones.<\/p>\n

Even as a bowler, I think that the way the bowlers can have an edge is, you know, a bit of cricket smarts, cricket nous, understanding the game and the ground dimensions, trying to get batters to hit in different areas where they don\u2019t want to be hitting the ball, lots of change-ups, and different slow balls. As a bowler, you start the play, you deliver the ball, and the batter responds.<\/p>\n

So, as a bowler, you\u2019ve got that initial option of choosing what you\u2019re going to do. So, trying to outsmart and out-think the batters is one area where the bowlers will have a chance even on flat wickets.<\/p>\n

Published on Apr 07, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n