Haryana and Rajasthan Royals player Rahul Tewatia got maiden India call-up on Saturday after the BCCI announced the T20I squad for the home series against England.
Talking about his selection, Tewatia said that the level of Haryana cricket and the way he has cemented his place at the state level has made him tough.
"Imagine fighting it out for a place in the team which has legends like Amit Mishra bhai. Then you had Jayant Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal has also represented the state team whenever he has not been busy playing for India. The level of competition for spinners in the Haryana team is one of the toughest I would say. Finding a place and performing for Haryana not only gave me confidence but also helped me back my skills," he said while talking to ANI.
Every cricketer goes through a rough patch and so did Tewatia. Mentioning about the same, the left-arm batsman said that the management has always supported him and kept him confident.
“Yes, it can get tough some times when you have a bad game here and there, but there has been immense support from HCA. Not to forget how Anirudh sir has always instilled confidence in me. He was always a call away and ensured that I only looked at the positive side and backed my game," he further said.
Tewatia also revealed that he is pretty “excited” to share the dressing room with someone like Virat Kohli. "So far, I played against Virat Kohli in the IPL. Now I will play with him and share the dressing room with him. Cannot wait to share the dressing room with him and some of the best cricketers in world cricket. It will be all about learning from them and understanding how they compete against the best in the business and succeed," he said.
Apart from Tewatia, the selectors have also called up Suryakumar Yadav and wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan.