New Delhi — Salil Arora announced himself on the big stage during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2026 clash with Mumbai Indians, producing a fearless cameo that included a now-viral no‑look six over Jasprit Bumrah. Promoted up the order, the 23‑year‑old finished unbeaten on 30 off 10 balls, striking three sixes at a 300.00 strike rate and helping seal the chase with the kind of composure rarely seen against a bowler of Bumrah’s calibre. After the match Heinrich Klaasen said on air, “He asked me if he could hit it (when 11 were needed off 12) and I said yes — finish the game.”
Arora did not only target Bumrah. He took on Hardik Pandya as well, smashing two sixes — including a sharp, short‑arm pull that left Pandya flatfooted. The shots were the product of a deliberate plan and intensive preparation, not raw luck. “Slot mein aayegi toh chakka jaayega,” coach Rajan Gill recalled Arora saying in practice — “If it’s in the slot, it will go for six.”
Gill outlined the training that underpins Arora’s power game: nearly one-and-a-half years of focused work featuring three practice sessions a day, primarily with Cosco tennis balls. Each session delivered roughly 200–250 balls, amounting to almost 600–700 quality deliveries daily. Sessions were staged-regular balls, wet balls from fast bowlers, and taped balls-with occasional use of white and red leather. They also employed stick bowlers, throwdown specialists and side‑arm throwers able to simulate 140–150 km/h to sharpen bat speed and reaction to short deliveries. “Practice needs to be purposeful,” Gill said, rejecting the notion that sheer volume (1,500–2,000 balls) is the only path to improvement.
Arora’s rise was flagged earlier in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he blasted an unbeaten 125 off 45 balls, including 11 sixes. He finished that tournament with 358 runs from eight innings at a 198.88 strike rate and 28 sixes — the second‑highest tally in the competition — performances that helped Sunrisers land him for Rs 1.50 crore ahead of the IPL auction.
The young batter’s journey has had hardship. After his father’s death two years ago, Arora’s elder brother took over the family business so Salil could pursue cricket. Gill says the setback only strengthened his resolve. Off the field, Arora follows simple rituals: he visits a temple before matches, avoids alcohol and even prefers turmeric milk at team gatherings — small routines that, Gill suggests, keep him grounded as he chases bigger dreams, including an eventual India cap.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/ipl-2026/making-of-salil-arora-tennis-ball-grind-behind-bumrah-no-look-six-and-power-hitting-blueprint/articleshow/130813601.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-05-05 06:19:00
