Virat Kohli has played a big role in my career: Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini is one of the most promising fast bowling talents in India. So far, the fast bowler has played 5 ODIs and 10 T20Is in his international career. A year after his breakout season in the IPL, Saini has been an impressive pacer in the international arena for the Indian team.

Speaking to the news agency IANS, the 27-year-old credited India and RCB skipper Virat Kohli for his breakthrough in both the IPL and international career.

"Virat bhaiya has played a big role in my career. I played IPL for the first time with the RCB under Virat bhaiya. He is always accommodating and listens to me all the time. He backs me in whatever I want to do on the field," he told IANS. 

Saini further explained how the skipper supports his plans and always backs the bowler's instincts. "He [Kohli] is always ready to work on my plans and back me. He shows a lot of faith. During nets, I try to give my best as he is a star batsman and you can assess yourself when you bowl to him.It is also good that he is my India captain. So, the chemistry translates while playing for India too. He knows me well and understands me. He has a lot of faith in me."

"He [Kohli] always keeps match intensity at nets. He is aggressive and bats with full intensity. So, as he bats like he is batting during a match, I also feed off that energy and give that little extra to showcase my skills. So, it is like a match-situation when I bowl to him," he added.

The Karnal-born pacer expressed his desire to play Test cricket in the near future and also said that he's improving his skill sets to play the purest form of the game.

"I am working hard to play Test cricket. I have not set any deadline to make my Test debut but I am working towards improving myself as a fast bowler. I aim to learn new things from every practice session. I am working hard to create my own identity," he said.

What is life like in a bio-bubble that is in place for the IPL 2020? Saini explains how different the conditions are than that of regular times.

"It is difficult to play in a bio-bubble. But the biggest challenge in IPL is to perform in front of legends from across the world. It is a good platform to showcase your abilities. I hope to do better in the future," he said.

"You are locked inside your room, you cannot hit the ground. But you need to be smart in this. You need to make the most of the atmosphere, keep working out in your room and stay busy," Saini added.

[With IANS inputs]