Karnataka fast bowler Prasidh Krishna on Friday (March 19) received his maiden call-up to the Indian ODI squad for the upcoming series against England, starting March 23 in Pune.
The right-arm pacer got the ultimate reward following his brilliant showing in the domestic circuit over the years, especially after his recent 14-wicket haul in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Karnataka.
Speaking to IANS, Krishna said his domestic performances as well as IPL has helped him to earn the national call-up. The 25-year-old plays for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the T20 league.
"It has been a combination of both IPL and domestic cricket performances. At the domestic level Karnataka have been doing really well over the last few years. As a team, once you start winning tournaments and playing big games, many of your players start to get recognised. I think I am blessed being part of the Karnataka side," Krishna quoted.
"Even at Kolkata Knight Riders, in terms of the platform they have given me and the exposure I have had, with so many other stars around -- nothing can beat that. When you play IPL, the first things is that you have to perform in pressure situations against international stars and in front of around 60,000 people. Second thing is that you rub shoulders with the greats of the game. There is so much more to learn from them -- the way they handle themselves -- you try and stay composed no matter what the situation is. Your work ethic and so many other things improve," he added.
Krishna has featured in 24 IPL games so far, claiming 18 wickets at an economy rate of 9.33. Earlier last year, he had garnered rich praise from the Indian skipper Virat Kohli for his ability to generate pace and extract bounce.
"I think one guy will be a surprise package going to Australia (for the 2020 T20 World Cup which didn't happen due to Covid-19). Someone who can bowl with pace and has bounce. Prasidh has done well in the domestic arena. It is a great luxury to have this group of bowlers in all formats. Looking at the World Cup, we have enough options," Kohli had said.
Krishna says the Indian captain’s words gave him a lot of confidence.
"Kohli saying this gave me a lot of confidence. For me, someone like the captain of the Indian cricket team talking about you or mentioning your name means that you work a little more harder and you might get called up and it has happened. I think it did boost my confidence -- the way I trained and my motivation level," he stated.
Asked if there is a pressure to perform given the competition for pace bowlers' slots in the Indian team, Krishna replied: "Not really. It has been the same for me in Karnataka which was a star-studded bowling line-up. It took me some time to break into the line-up. I think it (competition) just pushes me. It made me what I am today. It is good to have competition around you. I think you grow through competition."
Prasidh Krishna also revealed why he opted to become a speedster.
"The sheer joy of watching the stumps flying and knowing batsmen get scared of the fast bowlers -- bouncers and all of that. That is what pulled me towards fast bowling," he concluded.
(With IANS inputs)
