|| India Correspondent ||
A stunning show in the Indian Premier League last year and consistent performances for Haryana in domestic cricket helped all-rounder Rahul Tewatia to earn his maiden call-up in the T20I squad for the upcoming series against England on Saturday. However, the spin-bowling all-rounder believes that it is the challenge that he faced while playing for Haryana that has made him a better player now.
"Imagine fighting it out for a place in the team which has legends like Amit Mishra bhai. Then you had Jayant Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal has also represented the state team whenever he has not been busy playing for India. The level of competition for spinners in the Haryana team is one of the toughest I would say. Finding a place and performing for Haryana not only gave me confidence but also helped me back my skills," he said to ANI.
While he was asked how he would manage when he did not get to perform because of the level of competition in the state team, the all-rounder revealed that the support of the Haryana Cricket Association and former BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry has helped him a lot which helped him to face all challenges as well.
"Yes, it can get tough some times when you have a bad game here and there, but there has been immense support from HCA. Not to forget how Anirudh sir has always instilled confidence in me. He was always a call away and ensured that I only looked at the positive side and backed my game," he shared.
While Rahul Tewatia has played against the Indian captain Virat Kohli and others in the cash-rich Indian Premier League, he is excited to share the dressing room with the biggest names in international cricket as well.
"So far, I played against Virat Kohli in the IPL. Now I will play with him and share the dressing room with him. Cannot wait to share the dressing room with him and some of the best cricketers in world cricket. It will be all about learning from them and understanding how they compete against the best in the business and succeed," he concluded.
