“To be honest, at the beginning of 2020, I never thought about making my ODI debut.”
“I think the inner strength that I have helps me stay calm.”
“I’m now comfortable bowling long spells. Strength training has brought the pace up.”
“Every day is different, and every wicket is different. You cannot take things for granted.”
“Anyone can go for runs any day.”
“It’s about taking extra responsibility and delivering it at the right time for the team.”
“I don’t think I am competing with Hardik. He is a terrific cricketer. Yes, we are all-rounders, but we are different from each other.”
“I love hitting those big sixes.”
“I am a quiet person off the field.”
“I am not shy when it comes to asking questions.”
“I think I have become mentally stronger now, and I have full confidence that I can finish close matches.”
“I am not thinking about World Cup and all those things. You can’t play freely if you start thinking like that.”
“There’s a difference between batting at number four position and batting in the lower order.”
“I should be equipped to play in any condition.”
“Everyone’s dream is to first play for the country. Whenever you step in, you are wearing the Indian jersey and it is very special.”
“Every game I play, I try to make sure I get something out of that match. So as a cricketer, I feel you have to move forward and keep believing in your ability.”
“You just can’t think of safe options always. You have to accept challenges head on.”
“It was a great experience to share the dressing room with names like Virat Kohli, M S Dhoni, Rohit Sharma.”
“It is important to watch and learn from the seniors in the team.”
“I see each game as an opportunity to do well.”
“I have to step up and do well in every match I get to play.”
“I am someone, as a cricketer, who feels it’s very important to be able to adapt quickly to the situation.”
“It’s important to improve all aspects of my game so when the situation comes along, I will be ready.”
“I have to be flexible in my role, batting and bowling.”
“It has been a long-time dream of mine to be part of the Indian team.”
“Being part of the India ‘A’ team has helped me grow as an all-rounder.”
“I have matured as a player and learnt to perform under different situations.”
“I am happy with my batting form. I have been bowling well, too, and have bowled long spells.”
“Every game is very important.”
“As long as I bat well and as long as contribute to the team’s win, I will be happy.”
“To be honest, the Nidahas Trophy has taught me too many things. Actually, I learnt to how to stay neutral after that.”
“Be it high or low, it doesn’t matter. I need to stay calm and neutral all the time.”
“It was a big surprise for me when they asked me to bat at three. That is a big thing. I was focussed on playing the situation. You need to be open anyway if you are playing for a team like India.”
“If I can win matches for the team, that will automatically help me personally.”
“For me, the most important thing is that I adapt quickly to different conditions and be consistent.”
“For me, what is more important is to get better and better every day.”
“Obviously, playing for India is special, but I try to play each and every game seriously, and my only thinking is to improve every day, so it has been good for me.”
“The pressure will always be there. If we enjoy the pressure, then we will be able to do well, but if we put ourselves under pressure, then we can get into trouble.”
“I am extremely elated to be in the Indian World Cup team. This is like a dream come true.”
“Being part of the national Test set-up is an experience I enjoyed. I learnt by watching the players prepare for matches.”
“My aim has always been to keep improving and to do well in the opportunities I get.”
“I look to improve every time I play, whether batting or bowling.”
“My father, who has played a bit of cricket, comes to Chepauk to watch every game I play.”
“My brother, Ajay, who plays lower-division games, and I discuss cricket often.”
“My sister-in-law, my mother, grandmother, and the entire family have been the biggest support for me.”
“I want to be a genuine allrounder.”
“In the past, whenever I had a niggle, I would ignore it and let it heal on its own. Now, I tell the physio that I am facing some difficulty.”
“I don’t wait for someone to appreciate me for what I am doing.”
“I don’t know how I have got this habit, but I try to play one match and give it my best – it doesn’t matter which level of cricket I am playing in. It gives me satisfaction that I am not thinking about others, not competing with others.”
“Obviously, if I start bowling more, I will get better. To bowl more, I must be effective whenever I get to bowl – it doesn’t matter if it is the 40th or the 100th over.”
“Everybody has positives and negatives. I just want to learn and keep getting better.”
“I was actually a top-order batsman when I played league cricket in Tamil Nadu. When I made my Ranji debut, I had to bat down the order.”
“If I spend time visualising smashing someone, it’s good to a certain extent. But when I overdid it, it put me under pressure.”
“If I can bat against someone who is bowling 145 kph on a challenging wicket – that confidence is really important.”
“I feel it’s important for anyone to adapt; you never know what kind of situation you will walk into.”
“If you start giving too much importance to pressure, you won’t be in the present.”
“I just want to enjoy the game and work on all aspects – batting, bowling, and fielding. The more I enjoy my game, the better I can perform.”
“If you can prepare yourself to the best of your abilities and react to the situation, things will fall into place.”
“I was someone who used to bat up the order. Due to different reasons, I started batting at No. 7, and that became a permanent slot for me.”
“I want to be an asset to the team who can bat or bowl in any position.”
“When I go the nets, I always try to learn new things.”
“Sometimes you fail with the bat, and then you have to do well with the ball. When you fail with the ball, you have to do well with your willow.”
“As a cricketer, you need to keep moving and learning every day.”
“I am someone who looks to be prepared for everything.”
“The challenges are going to be there, but how I prepare is what matters. It is very important to work on all the things required.”
“The opportunity to play for the country itself gives you good confidence.”
“How prepared we are mentally is very important.”
“I give importance to work ethics, and there is no shortcut.”
“I like to read the situation and play accordingly.”
“I feel that if the situation arises when the skipper hands me the ball, I should be confident that I can do the job, and only then will that translate into performance.”
“I would definitely say the Nidahas Trophy was a life-changing experience as a cricketer for me.”
“I have put in a lot of work on my bowling.”
“I have been following World Cups since I was 11 years old. The competition inspires me.”
“I think a lot about my own game.”
“I want to complete my MBA but don’t know when I will find time from my cricket schedule.”
“I am now bowling 135 clicks at times, and yeah, it’s good.”
“I don’t bowl indoors, as I bowl with full run-up.”
“There are times I do single wicket bowling, and there are times I try, practise, hitting a specific length.”
“It is really important to keep it simple and believe in our own strengths.”
“The only thing that we can do is to work on all the aspects of our game.”
“Being part of the World Cup team is definitely very special for any cricketer.”
“Every time we wear this India jersey, it is very special for us.”
“If you can keep getting better, we can set ourselves better standards every game.”
“It’s not about against whom we’re playing. I think it’s about how we play as individuals.”
“Every day is different, and every wicket is different.”
“You cannot take things for granted.”
“World Cup is very special because it happens once in four years, so for every individual, it’s very special.”
“The first important thing is representing the country. That feeling will always be there, be it World Cup or any other tournament.”
“The team winning at the end of the day is really important.”
“I always look to get better in all three aspects of the game. I know I can keep getting better.”
“I am someone who looks to imbibe things from Kohli, Mahi bhai, or Rohit. I always believe in watching and learning from them. I have interacted with them to help me improve as a cricketer.”
“It is all about gaining in confidence with every given opportunity.”
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