HIGHLIGHTS

• Glad that Rahul Dravid noticed my performances, says Chetan Sakariya
• Chetan Sakariya made his ODI, T20I debuts in India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka
• I could see flashback of everything on my debut, says Chetan Sakariya

Chetan Sakariya’s meteoric rise in the past six months has been a story for the ages.

After an impressive performance in the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals, the youngster got a maiden call up for Team India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.

“To make it to the Indian team, it has been a dream come true. When I first heard of it, there were a lot of thoughts in my head, but I was unable to believe it. I pinched myself because I was wondering if it was even true. I didn’t think of it in a way that I would get to play or not, just being a part of that dressing room was a huge moment for me,” said Chetan Sakariya.

The 23-year-old made his debut for Team India and played 1 ODI and 2 T20I. Chetan was shell shocked when Rahul Dravid, Team India’s coach for the Sri Lanka tour complimented him for his performances in the domestic circuit as well as in the IPL.

“After completing the mandatory two-week quarantine in Sri Lanka, we had a get-together. Rahul sir came up to me and said, ‘Hi Chetan, Rahul here.’ I was shocked and startled at first because I couldn’t believe that it was really him, but I stood up and said ‘hi’ to him,” he said.

“I introduced myself and he asked me about my family background, playing experience. He also asked about cricket in Saurashtra and how we’ve been doing well in the last five years, and complimented me for my bowling and said he had followed my journey during the IPL, and he liked how I bowled with the new and the old ball. So, it felt amazing that a legend like him knew who I was and was following my performances,” added Sakariya.

The 2021 has been an emotional rollercoaster for the Bhavnagar youngster. In February, his younger brother died by suicide days before the IPL auction. In May, soon after Sakariya impressed in his maiden stint with the Rajasthan Royals, he saw his father succumb to Covid-19.

“When I was preparing to bowl that first ball, I had a couple of minutes to go through marking my run-up, warming up, in that moment, I could see a flashback of everything that had unfolded in my life the good, the bad, the sacrifices, the support, the criticism everything,” he said.