The Indian squad for the 3-match ODI series against South Africa left the fans pleasantly surprised after knowing about the inclusion of Rajat Patidar and Mukesh Kumar. Both uncapped players have been making headlines with their commendable performance in the domestic circuit. After receiving their maiden call-ups, it remains to be seen if they get their debut caps in the upcoming series against the Proteas, starting Wednesday in Lucknow.
The team has begun training for the opening ODI at the Ekana Stadium under the watchful eyes of VVS Laxman, who has been named the head coach for this series. Ahead of the series opener, young batter Rajat Patidar spoke with bcci.tv and expressed his emotions after getting congratulated by Dinesh Karthik over his maiden call-up.
Karthik was elated about the selection of Rajat and Mukesh for the South Africa ODIs. Earlier this year, Karthik and Patidar shared the Roya Challengers Bangalore (RCB) dressing room in the IPL 2022 and have seen each other from close quarters.
The veteran wicketkeeper had said Patidar deserved the maiden call-up as he also congratulated Mukesh for getting a chance.
So happy to see Rajat patidar there , so deserves this selection ❤️Well done to Mukesh Kumar too
Now Sarfaraz Khan and Indrajith baba into the test scheme of things . Can’t ignore such brilliant performers and performances.Theyve just been phenomenal
TALENT APLENTY https://t.co/2vpcoeMdBn
— DK (@DineshKarthik) October 3, 2022
DK’s tweet was a big thing for Rajat as the latter termed it a ‘great moment’.
“I saw the DK bhai’s tweet. It gave a boost to my confidence. I have played with him in the IPL and also shared the dressing room with him. He’s an idol for me. He has been playing for India for years now. Him tweeting for me is a great moment," Patidar told bcci.tv.
From turning dreams into reality, learning from @imVkohli & @ABdeVilliers17 to getting appreciated by @DineshKarthik. #TeamIndia @rrjjt_01 sums up his incredible journey ahead of the #INDvSA ODI series. – By @ameyatilakFull interview https://t.co/mGMtKSKAEc pic.twitter.com/AEIV0V4mvl
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 5, 2022
Speaking about playing under Shikhar Dhawan’s leadership, Patidar said, “This is the first time I’m meeting Shikhar Dhawan and will be playing under his leadership. I hesitated to speak to him but he only came to me and appreciated my performance."
Patidar rose to success following his blistering 112 not out against the Lucknow Super Giants, which took Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to the second qualifier in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. He then hogged the limelight with his sublime batting in the Ranji Trophy 2022 in which he scored 658 runs, including 2 centuries, in 9 innings, helping his team win the first-ever title.
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