HIGHLIGHTS

• Chetan Sakariya has played 15 first-class matches for Saurashtra
• Chetan made his debut for Rajasthan Royals in this year’s IPL
• Chetan Sakariya has lost his father due to Covid-19

Rajasthan Royal’s left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya emerged as one of the most promising talents in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) before it got suspended due to the outbreak of Covid-19 cases in its bio-bubble on May 4.

The 23-year-old received his maiden national call-up for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. However, the youngster is dreaming high, and he wants to play Test cricket for India.

Speaking to Sports Today, the left-arm pacer said: “My ultimate aim is to play Test cricket for India. I want to play Test cricket for a long period. Test cricket is like life; it throws genuine challenges at you. Test cricket challenges you on every front.”

However, on the personal front, it has not been an ideal year for the youngster. He lost his father Kanjibhai Sakariya to Covid-19 on May 9, and weeks before the IPL auction in February, his younger brother Rahul died by suicide.

The Royals bought Sakariya for Rs 1.2 crore, and it proved to be a good investment for them as the 23-year-old uncapped left-arm pacer impressed everyone in the tournament before it was suspended.

Chetan played seven matches in the IPL and bagged seven wickets, including KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, and Nitish Rana.

Chetan Sakariya credited IPL for his success story. He said: “IPL gave me financial support. IPL is a very important part of my life, and I owe my success to IPL.”

Chetan, a left-arm pacer, has played 15 first-class matches for Saurashtra, in which he has picked 41 wickets. In March 2020, he was part of Saurashtra’s Ranji Trophy-winning team. Earlier this season, he picked up 12 wickets in five Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 matches at an economy of 4.90.

However, he believes it was his stint as a net bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2020 in the UAE.

“My stint with RCB changed my mindset and gave me confidence when I was bowling to the world’s best at the RCB camp. I learned how to execute my plans, and it did wonders to me,” said Sakariya, who is excited to play under the guidance of Rahul Dravid.