Navdeep Saini thanked Virat Kohli for the faith he has shown in the young pacer in recent years and said he is taking confidence from the skipper's backing to do well for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE, starting September 19.
In his debut season with RCB last year, Saini looked his team's most promising Indian quick and took 11 wickets, impressing Kohli a lot along the way. So much so that the 27-year-old made his India debut in August in the USA with a T20I against West Indies. Saini has since played five ODIs and ten T20Is for the country.
"Virat bhaiya has played a big role in my career. I played IPL for the first time with the RCB under Virat bhaiya. He is always accommodating and listens to me all the time. He backs me in whatever I want to do on the field," he told IANS.
Further on Kohli's influence and support, Saini said, "He [Kohli] is always ready to work on my plans and back me. He shows a lot of faith. During nets, I try to give my best as he is a star batsman and you can assess yourself when you bowl to him."
"It is also good that he is my India captain. So, the chemistry translates while playing for India too. He knows me well and understands me. He has a lot of faith in me."
"He [Kohli] always keeps match intensity at nets. He is aggressive and bats with full intensity. So, as he bats like he is batting during a match, I also feed off that energy and give that little extra to showcase my skills. So, it is like a match-situation when I bowl to him," he added.
Saini's ability to seam the ball at 140 kmph clicks has led many to advocate for his inclusion in the Test set-up.
Even the team management and selectors understand what he could bring to the table, which was evident when they kept him around the side in the Caribbean last year. Saini said it's a dream he is working really hard for, to make his Test debut for India.
"I am working hard to play Test cricket. I have not set any deadline to make my Test debut but I am working towards improving myself as a fast bowler. I aim to learn new things from every practice session. I am working hard to create my own identity," he said.
Bringing focus back to the IPL, Saini said while adjusting to the bio-secure bubble within COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge, the task on the on-field will certainly be tougher.
"It is difficult to play in a bio-bubble. But the biggest challenge in IPL is to perform in front of legends from across the world. It is a good platform to showcase your abilities. I hope to do better in the future," he said.
"You are locked inside your room, you cannot hit the ground. But you need to be smart in this. You need to make the most of the atmosphere, keep working out in your room and stay busy," Saini added.
