Rajat Patidar – from IPL replacement pick to national team call-up

(FASTNEWS | NEW DELHI) – Around this time last year, Rajat Patidar was gearing up for yet another domestic season. Being a seasoned campaigner in the circuit, Patidar knew that a good season can eventually help him draw attention of the national selectors.

He was perhaps hoping to get an Indian Premier League contract, too. But when the franchises met for the mega-auction in Bengaluru in February this year, none of the ten outfits showed any interest in the 29-year-old batter from Madhya Pradesh.

That obviously was disappointing for the cricketer from Indore, but he never lost hope. Barely a couple of days after the mega-auction, he rang Devendra Bundela – former Madhya Pradesh captain, coach and one of the stalwarts of domestic cricket – for some advice. The two spoke for long, with Bundela counselling his ‘younger brother’ on how to shrug off the disappointment and concentrate on the Ranji Trophy.

But suddenly in April, Patidar was called up by Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Luvnith Sisodia. While there were initial concerns whether he will make it to the playing eleven, RCB handed Patidar a few games and he made the most of the opportunity, hammering an unbeaten 112 against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens to eventually pave the way for his team’s 14-run win in the eliminator.

And, on Sunday, as Patidar earned a maiden call-up to the Indian ODI squad for the series against South Africa, Patidar calls that century against Super Giants as the ‘turning point’ in his career.

“It’s a dream for every cricketer to play for the country. That century in the IPL was certainly the turning point this time. I have been performing well in red ball cricket, so it was really good to perform in white ball cricket as well and that innings in the IPL helped me get recognised,” Patidar told Sportstar, a few minutes after being selected for the Indian squad.

In the eight IPL innings last season, Patidar scored 333 for Royal Challengers Bangalore at an average of 55.50.

A month after the IPL, Patidar scored a century in the final of the Ranji Trophy against Mumbai, guiding Madhya Pradesh to its maiden title.

Last month, he featured in the red-ball leg of the India A vs New Zealand A series, where he scored a couple of centuries – with a highest score of 176.