Had a good chat with Ravindra Jadeja: Parth Bhut on importance of becoming an all-rounder
Saurashtra's Parth Bhut impressed one and all with his fantastic 12-wicket-haul against the Rest of India (ROI) during Irani Cup 2023. However, the left-arm spinner has also been a more-than-handy batter down the order.
Saurashtra have produced some quality cricketers over the years and when thinking about all-rounder, the one name that comes to mind from the land is none other than Ravindra Jadeja.
Bhut got some time to spend with Jadeja when the latter played a Ranji Trophy game against Tamil Nadu to prove his fitness for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, here's what Parth Bhut had to say about his interaction with the veteran all-rounder:
"Jaddu bhai had joined the team last year to play against Tamil Nadu, and at that time, I had a good chat with him about how to improve my batting and bowling. There are also a number of veterans in our team like JD Bhai on expectations from the season and how to improve my batting as I understand that my ability to deliver runs down the order gives the team that balance needed. So I always focus on fine-tuning my skills."
Bhut understands the importance of bowlers who can bat and he believes he is working hard to get into any team as a proper all-rounder. He added:
"There is a pretty high demand of all-rounders in IPL and other tournaments. My focus is also on my batting and how I can contribute crucial runs for my team. The goal is to become a utility all-rounder."
Parth Bhut on potential India call-up
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mukesh Kumar have been great examples of how performing in the Ranji Trophy followed by the Irani Cup could propel one into the India A squad or even the Indian squad.
England will be touring India for five Tests early next year and there is a slight possibility that India might want to look at more spinning all-rounders like Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jadeja.
But Parth Bhut wants to stay in the present and work hard on what's coming up to eventually fulfill his dream of playing Test cricket for the country. He stated:
"Currently I am preparing for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy and the white ball leg of the season. I also am preparing for the Ranji trophy later in the season. The idea is just to keep myself ready in the best possible way. The goal is definitely to represent India in Test cricket."
At just 26 years of age, Parth Bhut certainly has time on his side to make the jump to the next level and possibly take the baton from Jadeja in the future for India in Tests.