Siddharth Kaul got his maiden ODI call-up during a Ranji Trophy match between Punjab and Services. Kaul was included in the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting December 10. Kaul has performed consistently in the domestic circuit and made heads turn with his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Punjab bowler featured in the squads of five IPL teams but came in the limelight playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2017 taking 16 wickets in 10 matches.
Kaul shared the story of how he got the news of the ODI call-up in an interview with PTI.
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 from the Under-19 World Cup 2008 fame did not lose hope all these years.
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 but 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 SRH player credited former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid for guiding him.
Playing for India A or IPL is top level cricket and it always gives you that confidence that you can belong to a certain level. What helped me was my interactions with Rahul Dravid. Rahul sir would always tell me that self belief is key for any player. At this level, it is about doing small things right on a consistent basis. That’s what I did when I was playing against New Zealand A or South Africa A.
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Cricket runs in the family of the 27-year-old. He also shared how his father and brother helped him throughout his career.
My father Dr Tej Kaul has always been my coach. Even today any technical difficulty I have with my bowling, I consult him. Also it helps that my elder brother Uday has been an established first-class cricketer and a wicketkeeper. When your brother is a wicketkeeper, you get first-hand input about how the ball is releasing out of your hand.
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Kaul took 4 wickets in the Ranji match against Services as well. He replaced injured Shardul Thakur in the Punjab team. The national team selectors are on the lookout for emerging talent and are testing the bench strength for the upcoming South Africa tour.
