For Ishan Porel, not getting an IPL deal is something that keeps him motivated

He was one of India’s star performers in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand last year. It was his brilliance with the ball that had helped India beat Pakistan in the semi-final and Australia in the final of the tournament. Ishan Porel, a pacer from Bengal came up with a decisive performance on Saturday again, this time in favour of his state team to guide them to the Super League stage of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament. The 20-year-old picked three wickets for 19 runs as Bengal crushed Odisha by 8 wickets in Group D.

Porel, who has picked nine scalps from five matches in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has an impressive tally of 32 wickets from just 12 first-class games since he made his debut in 2017. In his early years in domestic cricket, Porel spoke about various issues, including the impact former captain Rahul Dravid had on him and the fact that he has not been able to grab a contract in the Indian Premier League (IPL) still.

Porel recalls his learning from Rahul Dravid

Speaking about Dravid’s role, Porel said the former has been a great inspiration for him. He played under the former player’s tutelage in the U19 WC as he was the coach of the team. He cited an instance of Dravid’s cooperation when the ‘Wall’ had assured him when he sustained an injury in the very first game against New Zealand in the U-19 tournament.

“When I got injured in my very first match (a bruised heel in left foot) of the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, he was very reassuring and asked me to go through whatever rehab I had to and not worry about anything else,” Porel recalled while talking to Sportstar.

He also said that it was the coach’s support that had helped him play the quarter-final against Bangladesh. He also gave the credit for learning to remain calm and composed irrespective of the situation to Dravid, saying it was this temperamental improvement that had helped him grab four for 17 against Pakistan in the semis.

When asked about his failure to bag an IPL deal yet, Porel said he was taking it positively. A number of his colleagues from that WC-winning U-19 squad were picked by franchises for the IPL last year itself. In fact, three of his mates (Shubman Gill, Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti) were taken on board by his home-based franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

Porel though said that he was working on honing his skills, both with the ball and bat, to improve his chances for an IPL deal. “I need to be better prepared before making a case for myself,” he said.

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