David Mathias does a Karnataka Premier League innings

An able all-rounder who’s proved his mettle while playing for team Karnataka, David Mathias is a popular face in the state team. The 25-year-old will now be showcasing his skills for Namma Shivamogga in the ongoing Karnataka Premier League (KPL). The youngster takes time out in between his practice sessions to have a quick chat with us.

Talking about the tournament, David, who will be playing his fourth season at the KPL, says, “I’m just looking to win the tournament. Personally, I want to contribute to winning as much as I can.” The past couple of months have been good for the cricketer, who bagged a scholarship and travelled to Australia to train.

“I was fortunate enough to go to Brisbane for a month, where I trained under Jeff Thomson, Greg Chappell and other good coaches. The experience was a really good one. The foreign conditions, coaches and their fresh ideas helped me a lot. We worked on certain aspects of my bowling and cricket. It was nice to interact with great legends of the game — there’s so much to gain from them,” reveals David who did his schooling at Bishop Cottons Boys School and his BBM at St Joseph’s College of Commerce. Having played the Thimmapiah Memorial Tournament recently which went well for him, he’s confident of his preparation.

David started playing competitive cricket in 2002 when he got picked for the Karnataka under-13 and he has been playing for the state since then. “I grew up admiring players like Andrew Flintoff and Ian Botham,” he says, adding, “Among the current cricketers, I admire my good friend KL Rahul. He’s the guy to look out for. He’s doing really well and we are all happy for him.”

The young bloke admits that he doesn’t find much time to unwind in between all his practice sessions and games. But when he does, he enjoys singing and cooking.

The cricketer, who manages to wow people around him with his fabulous crooning, says, “My dad introduced me to music. I love rock music and I love to sing. I love Bryan Adams, Nickelback, John Mayer, Oasis.... Basically soft and alternative rock. As for cooking, I developed it more as a need, but I’ve grown to love food. I also like to catch up with friends and chill out.”

Quick fire
Favorite Singer: Bryan Adams
Favorite movie: Million Dollar Arm
Favorite actor: Christian Bale
Favorite actress: Kate Hudson