Twelve years after he came up against a raging Romesh Kaluwitharana as Sri Lanka pulled off a heist at the 1996 World Cup, Shane Warne showed he had learnt his lessons that tournament. Warne, who had foregone a stint with Hampshire for a coach-cum-player role in the first IPL, led the ‘Moneyball’ Rajasthan Royals side to the title that year. An unlikely protagonist in his plan: a little-known opener from Goa, Swapnil Asnodkar, moulded by Warne for the T20 format.

At $US 67 million, the Royals were valued at just over half of what Mumbai Indians were worth that tournament. Mohammad Kaif, arguably their biggest domestic face, hadn’t represented India in two years. Munaf Patel had only recently come off a six-month ODI lay-off, and Yusuf Pathan was just one international game old. Ravindra Jadeja was still a year away from his India debut.

So, Warne squeezed every ounce out of his domestic players, overseeing the rise of the ‘Goan Cannon’ as Asnodkar was nicknamed. It is said that decades ago, over a thousand cast-iron cannons adorned the walls of Goa. The Royals needed just a pint-sized one to do damage.

Asnodkar’s dream ride didn’t progress beyond the second season. After a lacklustre 2009, when the tournament moved to South Africa, he played a combined three games in 2010 and 2011. “In the second edition, on the first day of practice, I suffered a ligament tear in my middle finger,” he said. “We had come 10 days prior to the tournament, but an injury on day one meant that I hardly practised, [and didn’t get ] used to the bounce in South Africa.

“Luck plays a major role too. If you’re not doing well in T20s, the pressure keeps haunting you, and you either succumb or do well. Things didn’t go my way in the second season. You don’t even have enough time to make it count, even a couple of dot balls add pressure.”

Proud as he is of what he achieved in the IPL, Asnodkar is indebted to his state team Goa, where he spent 17 fruitful years. “Hardly a hundred people play so much, rest disappear after 2-3 years,” he says. “I managed to make a name for myself.”

Now a coach, Asnodkar vows to pass on what he learnt from Warne to the next generation. “He taught me to back myself, and not have any second thoughts, never be double-minded or wonder if it doesn’t work out. At times, you just have to take the risk.”