The emerging Indian batter, Rajat Patidar has talked about his maiden India call-up, stating his maiden century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) changed things for him. He went on to talk about his relationship with his teammate Dinesh Karthik and the experience of playing alongside the likes of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli. Rajat received his maiden India call-up for the three-match ODI series against South Africa beginning October 6 in Lucknow.

Rajat Patidar has been in stellar form in recent times, scoring a couple of tons against New Zealand A across three first-class matches, after having helped Madhya Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy-winning campaign. However, the batter first shot into the mainstream while impressing at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) even as experienced batters around him struggled.

As per the quotes in India Today, Rajat Patidar said, “That IPL knock was a turning point for me. All this feels like a dream to me.”

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Patidar’s knock featured a flamboyant 92-run partnership off just 41 balls alongside Dinesh Karthik as well, as the duo steered their team to a total of 207. The wicket-keeper, who has gone on to cement his spot in the Men in Blue’s T20I side, had tweeted congratulations to Patidar when his election to India’s squad was announced stating he deserved the call-up.

Explaining the same, Rajat Patidar said, “I saw his tweet congratulating me. That tweet made me feel very happy and helped me build confidence because I’ve played in the IPL with Dinesh Karthik. He’s like an idol for me. He’s been playing for India for so many years and seeing him tweet about me, made me feel really good.”

At RCB, Patidar has shared the crease with AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli as well, with the duo largely considered amongst the best batsmen of this generation.

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Elaborating the same, Rajat Patidar said, “AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli are also my idols. Players like these are big international cricketers. I was very nervous the first time I saw them, but they approached me themselves, which was another great moment for me.”