Rajat Patidar is all set to make his debut under Shikhar Dhawan as he is picked in the India ODI squad for the three 50-over games against South Africa. Ahead of the first match in Lucknow, the RCB batter revealed how he hesitated to speak to Dhawan; eventually, it was his skipper who came and spoke to him.
“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."
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Fans must have not forgotten his stupendous century in the IPL Eliminator match between RCB and LSG (Lucknow Supergiants). In this match, he slammed his century in just 49 balls, becoming the fastest centurion among uncapped players in the history of the tournament. Furthermore, this one performance was enough to brand him as a T20 specialist. But he answered his critics with his Ranji Trophy final performance where he scored a century against powerhouse Mumbai. He also ended up winning the trophy. 2022 was perhaps the best year in his international career.
“The IPL knock has given me a lot of confidence. But I think, there is a big difference between white-ball and red-ball cricket. But I think, I have the ability to play all three formats. So, I just try to focus on the process of red and white-ball formats differently. I don’t have any personal goals. I just want to stay in the present and play according to the situation. I do only what I can control."
With selectors rewarding him for his rich form of runs, the 29-year-old is all set to repay the faith showed in him. Despite donning the blue, he couldn’t stop himself from speaking a few words about his RCB heroes: Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
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“Virat Kohli and ABD are the stalwarts of international cricket. I had no idea what to talk about with these guys. But they only came first and had a word with me… a great moment for me. That spiked my confidence levels. I got to learn a lot from them," he said.
“When I saw Virat, DK Bhai and ABD in the nets, I just noticed how they approach their game, especially Virat Kohli because he has the same intensity, be it in the nets or in the game. I liked that and try to add that factor to my batting."
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