Delhi Daredevils didn't back my abilities like MS Dhoni at CSK: Pawan Negi

New Delhi: All-rounder Pawan Negi had a perfect start to 2016. The 27-year-old Delhiite was picked in the Indian squad for the ICC World T20. His sudden elevation to the national team came just at the right time for him to be picked by Delhi Daredevils for a whopping Rs 8.5 crore in the IPL auction. The only thing that went wrong was that all of his success took place outside the ground. On the field, he couldn’t find a place in the Playing XI for the World T20 and, for Delhi Daredevils, he played only 8 out of 14 matches and bowled just 9 overs taking just 1 wicket. Now, after a disappointing IPL season, Negi felt he was not backed by Daredevils. “I kept wondering why wasn’t I given more opportunities. And the team management didn’t tell me the reason either,” Negi told the Asian Age. “When I was with CSK (Chennai Super Kings), Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) backed my abilities. Maybe, I feel Delhi didn’t back my skills with bat and ball. Maybe, it was a rotation policy, because I was never told that I was dropped. “The hardest part was, before every match, I had no clue whether I would play or not. People kept asking me why I didn’t play much. I didn’t have a proper answer. I don’t read newspapers and I’m not active on social media. “Sitting on the bench was hard to digest as I never expected to watch the action from the sidelines. I was mentally down, but I didn’t lose hope. After the season, T.A. Sekhar and our manager Sunil Valson pepped me up saying that I didn’t get enough opportunities to showcase my abilities.” Another thing that contributed to Negi’s time on the sidelines was Delhi Daredevils’ unorthodox strategy where they made 35 changes in 14 matches. In the intermittent chances that he got, Negi could not impress with his performances. “I was told that it was sort of a combination. Though I’m a very positive person, I would say this IPL ended on a negative note for me. I wasn’t surprised a bit that I didn’t make the cut for the Zimbabwe series because I didn’t perform well in the IPL. Now, I will practice hard for the upcoming Ranji season,” he said. When asked if the big price tag bogged him down, Negi said, “It was never about money. The team management said not to get weighed down by the price tag and the pressure that comes with. Coach Rahul Dravid told me to stick to my natural instincts. He wanted me to perform like I was doing in the Chennai colours for the last two years. I was excited to play for Delhi, my home.”