"I always observe his batting" - Rajat Patidar draws inspiration from Virat Kohli
Rajat Patidar is part of India's squad for the first two Tests of the ongoing five-match series against England. The right-handed batter recently spoke about how he draws inspiration from star batter Virat Kohli.
Patidar, who has shared the dressing room with Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said that he often observes the seasoned campaigner's batting in the nets.
In a video shared by the BCCI on its official social media handles on Thursday, February 1, here's what Patidar said about learning from Kohli's batting:
"I always observe his (Kohli's) batting from the back of the nets, especially his footwork and body movement while batting is amazing. I enjoy watching him bat. I want to add those skills. It's not easy, but am relentless about it."
Patidar added that he also keenly observes how Team India skipper Rohit Sharma plays with the field set by the opposition, saying:
"I have an aggressive batting style and have batted like this since domestic cricket. It's all about how you prepare. It has become a habit now. I study the pattern of opponent bowlers, how they place their field, and I observe how Rohit bhai tackles the field positions. I try to add these learnings into my game."
It is worth mentioning that Rajat Patidar was added to India's squad for the first two Test against England after Virat Kohli opted out of the matches, citing personal reasons. The Madhya Pradesh lad did not feature in the playing XI for the series opener in Hyderabad.
Patidar could make his debut in the second Test, with senior players Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul ruled out of the encounter due to their respective injuries.
"Has increased my confidence" - Rajat Patidar on his interactions with Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid
Rajat Patidar spoke about how he has been in touch with Team India head coach Rahul Dravid in the recent past. He further stated that having a conversation with Rohit Sharma during the ongoing series has boosted his confidence.
The talented batter said:
"I have played with many Indian team players in the domestic circuit. Have been interacting with Rahul sir for the last two series. I had not spoken a lot with Rohit bhai. But I got to speak with him on this tour about batting. He shared his experience in the nets. All this has increased my confidence."
Rajat Patidar remained on the sidelines for a while due to an Achilles heel injury, which also ruled him out of the IPL 2023. Shedding light on what his thought process was during the prolonged hiatus, he added:
"It is always hard when a player gets injured. I told myself I cannot change the time it will take to recover. I accepted this fact and worked in the present with a lot of focus. Getting my first Test call-up soon after my recovery has to be my happiest moment. It was my dream to represent my country in Test cricket."
Rajat Patidar looked in stunning form while playing for India 'A' against the England Lions, delivering a brilliant 151-run knock in the first unofficial Test of the series.