Australia’s Travis Head ready to throw his hat into IPL auction | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Having dedicated significant time to mastering red-ball cricket, Australian opener Travis Head expressed his eagerness to venture into the fast-paced world of T20 cricket.
The 29-year-old, with an extensive record of 42 Tests and 62 ODIs, aims to participate in the IPL auction in December.
Despite limited T20I exposure (20 matches) and a highest score of 91 against South Africa in August-September, Head is ready to embrace the slam-bang format and explore new opportunities in the upcoming IPL auction.
“I will be in,” Head told reporters in Kolkata when asked if he will put his name in the IPL auction next year.
“I was restricted a little bit on time last year with getting married. I will put myself in this year and hopefully get picked up and get an opportunity. It was nice to be involved in it a long time ago.”
Head had a brief stint in the IPL, featuring in 10 games during the 2016–2017 season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
“… this is not a format I have been involved in much over the years. It was nice to be back in South Africa and contribute to the game,” he said.
“I feel like the game has evolved now and, next year, we have a massive block out, where I can play a fair bit of white-ball cricket if I get picked up or find myself in some teams around the world, so this is a path that I wanna try to explore.
“Having put all the eggs in the red-ball basket for a period of time now, I feel like I am really in good space mentally in my game and if I can transfer through formats well then I am eager to explore what those opportunities are and get more experience and learn.”
T20 cricket will take precedence in 2024 with the World T20 scheduled to be held in the West Indies and the United States from June 4 to 30 next year.
‘It’s not all guns blazing’
Making a strong comeback after recovering from a hand injury, Head played a pivotal role by scoring a sensational 109 from 67 balls in a crucial match against New Zealand. His remarkable innings contributed to Australia‘s five-run victory, keeping them in the semifinal race.
However, in the subsequent three innings, Head faced a dip in form, being dismissed for 11, 0, and 10, respectively. Despite the recent challenges, his initial impactful performance remains a highlight of his return to action.
“It’s just making sure I try and get that right. It was nice to contribute in the first game, and it’s been a bit lean in the last couple,” said Head ahead of their semifinal clash against South Africa.
“I feel like I try and give myself the best chance to score off balls that I feel like I can and respect the ones in between. I think you have to do that. It’s international cricket, so I don’t think it’s all guns blazing every time.
“You hope you’re in good positions to score and put the bowlers under pressure, but if they bowl well you’ve got to be able to get through it. So it’s definitely a balancing act. I feel like I’m in a good mindset to give myself the best chance to be as positive as I can be.”
Head missed the first five World Cup games after suffering a fracture in his hand while facing pacer Gerald Coetzee in the fourth ODI against South Africa in September.
Asked if he had thought about the fact that it was the South Africans that broke his hand, Head said, “No, I’m sure he didn’t mean to hit me in the hand.
“It was probably aimed a little bit higher than that. But that’s all part of the game. So I take a relaxed approach to all that sort of stuff whether it’s performance or injuries.
“He did me a favour, I got four weeks at home with the family, so I got refreshed to come back. And, hopefully, I can be refreshed and energised and can perform at the back end of the tournament. It might be a blessing in disguise.”
The five-time champions have to get over South Africa to inch closer to their record sixth World Cup title.
“I’m sure everyone has thought about that. It hasn’t really been spoken about as a group, but we know what’s at the end of this tournament and what’s up for grabs,” Head said.
“You’ve got to make the semis to give yourself a chance and if we do things right in a couple of days’ time we find ourselves in a final. That’s in the future, but geez, we’ve put in a lot of hard work over the last couple of months to get to this stage, so we want to make the most of it.”
(With PTI inputs)