Ravi Bishnoi, the young leggie who surprised everyone by picking up 12 wickets in 14 matches of the 2020 IPL Season representing Punjab Kings has been selected in the India squad for the T20I and ODI series against West Indies.
After earning the Indian cap, Bishnoi said that former India and Punjab Kings coach, Anil Kumble helped him become a better cricketer.
"I have learned a lot from Anil sir, and those lessons have helped me in becoming a better cricketer. He would always guide me on how to back myself and never lose hope under pressure. Those things were of immense help," Bishnoi told Sportstar.
“I was waiting for my opportunity. I was preparing myself for the big league and was keeping myself ready so that I can give my hundred percent whenever an opportunity comes my way. My only aim was to keep performing and then wait for my turn,” he said.
The 21-year-old boy from Jodhpur, Rajasthan has been the talk of the town since he was announced as a reserved player by the new IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants, alongside KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis.
“With Rahul bhaiya (KL Rahul) leading the team, it will be easier for me to adjust since I have already played under him in Punjab. It is a great opportunity for me to be among the few players to be picked by the franchise before the auction. I want to contribute my best to the team,” Bishnoi added.
Adding more to Anil Kumble's contribution in his success, he said, “He (Kumble) always told me to play to my strengths. The advice was that I should stick to my basics and just execute the plans. There was no experiment. He gave me the confidence to play freely."
India's ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), D Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan
India's T20I squad: Rohit Sharma(Capt),KL Rahul (vc),Ishan Kishan,Virat Kohli,Shreyas Iyer,Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk),Venkatesh Iyer,Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi,Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel