Gurbani: ‘I have always dreamt of playing under Dravid’

Despite being one of the star performers in the domestic tournaments, Gurbani did not find any takers in the Indian Premier League but he has been rewarded with an India A call-up.

With an India A call-up, Gurbani believes that this is a step closer to fulfilling the dream of playing for India.

 

From scalping 39 wickets in the Ranji Trophy to impressing in the Irani Cup — life has been good for Vidarbha pacer Rajneesh Gurbani.

And, the 25-year-old has been rewarded for his hard work with a spot in the India A squad for the three four-day games in England.

The youngster, who shot to fame with his feat in the Ranji Trophy, is looking forward to meeting Rahul Dravid, who will coach the A side.

READ: Gurbani, Saini make India 'A' squad for England Tour

“I have always dreamt of playing under him (Dravid). I have heard a lot about him, but could not meet him so far. So, it is very exciting to have him as the coach of the team,” Gurbani tells Sportstar on Tuesday.

He also makes it clear that he will put in all the efforts to learn the nitty-gritty’s of the game from the former India captain. “I will try to learn everything from him (Dravid). This is a big moment for me,” the pacer adds.

READ: 44 for England tour, former cricketers stumped

Despite being one of the star performers in the domestic tournaments, Gurbani did not find any takers in the Indian Premier League, and he says, the snub has motivated him to perform better. “At a time when most of my friends are playing the IPL, I have changed my mindset. I told myself that something better than IPL will wait for me, and that has worked. I am working on my fitness and the focus is also on improving the bowling action,” the Nagpur-based pacer explains.

When the Ranji Trophy began last year, little did Gurbani think that he would emerge as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. But then, his morals went high with each passing game.

“To be honest, I did not think too highly initially. As I started performing, things were improving. I started thinking positively, and that has definitely helped me perform better,” the pacer says.

With an India A call-up, Gurbani believes that this is a step closer to fulfilling the dream of playing for India. “For all of us, the aim is to play for India. This is one step closer to that dream. The hard work has paid off, and I am happy with the result,” Gurbani says.

Until last year, Gurbani — also an engineer — was not sure how his career would pan out in the next few seasons. But his moment of glory is here and the Nagpur boy is basking in it.