New Delhi: As T20 cricket keeps accelerating and batters are clearing the boundary ropes with increasing ease, throwdown specialists have become a crucial part of franchise preparation. Their work isn’t just about getting facing reps at pace; it’s also about helping hitters rehearse a specific shot pattern through repeated, controlled deliveries—something that can be hard to replicate in a typical net session with a regular bowling unit. While international assignments often come with a dedicated throwdown net for batters to build technique and consistency, in an IPL environment the emphasis is largely on volume. Since it is impossible for human bowlers to mirror match-day intensity every ball, these specialists effectively act as the pulse of a team’s practice routine.
Delhi Capitals’ throwdown trio and why it matters
Delhi Capitals, one of the IPL franchises, currently rely on three throwdown specialists, each bringing a different background and skill set—but sharing the same goal: to push batters through high-quality repetitions and set the training “speed guns” running.
- The modern T20 game demands frequent, high-tempo batting reps.
- Throwdown specialists help batters refine particular shots using repeatable deliveries.
- In IPL camps, the focus is often on delivering enough balls at the right intensity, not on a single dedicated setup.
- Human bowlers cannot fully recreate match-day conditions in nets, making throwdowns essential.
Aniket Berde: ambidextrous throwdowns at DC
At 35, Aniket Berde is among the most distinctive figures in DC’s throwdown group. Hailing from Kalyan in Mumbai, he played club cricket before joining Praveen Amre’s academy in 2013. During his time at the academy, Berde bowled to several prominent names including Ajinkya Rahane, Robin Uthappa, Shreyas Iyer, Shams Mulani and Aakarshit Gomel.
What sets Berde apart is his ambidexterity. He writes and fields with his left hand, but he bats and bowls with his right hand. Speaking during DC’s nets session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Berde explained how that balance developed in his throwdown role.
- He began as a right-arm throwdown bowler.
- He noticed many others were doing right-arm throwdowns, which made him look for a way to be different.
- He now throws with his left hand while being a right-hand bowler.
- Over time, he built the ability to throw with both hands.
Berde said that until 2016 he had been doing right-hand-only throwdowns. After that, he spent two years working to strengthen his left-hand proficiency. He also described the early adjustment to a sidearm action, noting that initially they bowled with their hands without a sidearm tool. Once the sidearm setup came into his training, he began learning how to bowl with it, and he credits watching a teammate’s example—specifically seeing Raghu bowl to Ajinkya Rahane while observing the process—as a turning point in how he approached the action.
He added that his progression was gradual: he started with the right hand to learn the sidearm movement, then slowly developed it, and eventually brought the left hand into the effort as well. When he tried the left-hand approach, he said he was told he could continue, and now he mostly bowls with his left hand.
Late start, coaching choice, and the shift into specialists
Berde’s entry into cricket came later than many—he was 18 when he was introduced to the sport—and opportunities did not immediately come his way. To keep his options open, he made a practical decision to take up coaching while still playing.
As playing chances reduced with age, he leaned into a growing trend: throwdown specialists and sidearm-focused work. He has been with Delhi Capitals for a year and has previously spent three seasons with Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.
Darshan: seven-plus years’ experience and a focus on length
Darshan is the most experienced of DC’s three throwdown specialists. He joined the franchise setup eight years ago, after earlier playing cricket at the U-16 and U-19 levels in Jammu & Kashmir.
Darshan’s first break to Delhi as a player came around 2012, but a serious back injury in 2014 disrupted his journey. Two years later, he shifted his focus fully to coaching, while also building his role as a throwdown specialist.
Darshan, 32, is from Ramban district—about 150 km from Jammu. After finishing his playing days, he trained and worked at the Sonnet Club in Delhi. In 2016, the door opened for him to join Delhi Capitals.
What makes a good throwdown specialist?
When asked what separates a strong throwdown specialist, Darshan said it isn’t simply about raw speed. He stressed that the real impact comes from how many balls are delivered to a good length area and how much movement—especially swing—can be produced.
- Speed alone is not the deciding factor.
- What matters is the number of deliveries landing on a good length.
- He highlighted the role of in-swing and out-swing when bowling with a red ball.
- When using a white ball, he noted that it can result in more yorkers.
- In his view, the quality of deliveries matters more than the numbers.
Work across leagues and domestic setups
Beyond the IPL, Darshan has worked in the ILT20 with Dubai Capitals, as well as in the Legends League and the Asia Cup. He has also been involved with the J&K domestic team.
He said that in 2021 he worked with the J&K side for two years, describing a period when the team was performing well and playing plenty of tournaments during the off-season. He also shared his perspective on the region’s cricket structure, arguing that there is limited club cricket and more matting cricket. He believes that if club cricket increases, the overall bowling talent could develop further, because mat-based cricket tends to provide bowlers with better conditions. He added that playing on astro-turf would be even more beneficial and that the region has good talent.
Sai Pendam: sidearm craft after a setback
Sai Pendam began speaking to reporters before quickly moving aside and urging his colleagues to answer first. He is from Manikonda district in Telangana and stands at about five feet tall, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his role as a sidearm and throwdown specialist.
His path into the sidearm style and throwdown work began after corruption curtailed his playing career as an off-spinner. When he started as a sidearm specialist in 2021 at the Adnan Cricket Academy in Hyderabad—at the insistence of a friend named Ganesh—he described the learning curve as steep.
Pendam recalled the encouragement he received: he said his coach told him he had talent and could move to a higher level. He also described early discomfort, explaining that after about a month he felt pain in his shoulders and even considered quitting sidearm work. However, he said he was advised that this is how the process starts and that once he adjusted, he would not face problems.
Chasing opportunity, not money
After that adjustment period, Pendam said he got opportunities to help players practise. He emphasized that he did not seek money at the time; he mainly wanted a chance, adding that he had been waiting for that opening.
That opportunity arrived when he was spotted during a camp. He said he was noticed by DC head coach Hemang Badani, DC Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, ex-India wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, and Ruchir Grandhi from the GMR Group.
Since then, Pendam has participated in multiple ILT20 campaigns, IPL seasons, and the Legends Cricket League during a three-year stint with the GMR Sports fold.
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