I was always hopeful of India call-up, says Siddharth Kaul

THE BCCI announced the India squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka and mentioned debutants Siddharth Kaul and Shreyas Iyer on the list. The former divulged that he received the news of his maiden call-up from the on-field umpires during a Ranji Trophy match.

Kaul, who was bowling against Services in Amritsar, termed it as the ‘biggest piece of news’ when match referee Sunil Chaturvedi sent in a message through umpires Vineet Kulkarni and K Srinath. As reported by PTI, Kaul said,

"It was drinks break at that time and one of the umpires came up to me and said that match referee sir (Chaturvedi) had informed that I have been selected in the Indian ODI squad. I didn't know how to react at that moment. It was the biggest piece of news in my cricketing career and I got it on field."

The 27-year-old said that he always hopeful of getting a berth in the Indian squad. He was a part of the U-19 squad that won the World Cup after beating South Africa in Kuala Lumpur. 

"I was always hopeful that if I keep performing, I would get my share of chances. Yes, it was a great feeling to win the U-19 World Cup it all these years I knew that good performance at the domestic level would be rewarded. I had to focus on being consistent in domestic cricket. That was my endeavour and this is a reward for that."

The medium pacer also added that veterans Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have been a great source of inspiration for him.

"Yuvi paaji and Bhajju paa are inspirations for all of us in the Punjab team. They have played so much of international cricket that even a slightest input during match situations can improve you as a bowler. Whenever they have been around, I have only gained as a player. It's not like they would coach you but just give you subtle hints about what to do in specific situations."

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.