'I have always dreamt of playing under Dravid': Rajneesh Gurbani

It was a dream run for the Vidarbha speedster Rajneesh Gurbani, who bowled his team to their maiden Ranji Trophy title, earlier this year. In a season where Gurbani emerged as the second highest wicket-taker, he was yet ignored by all the franchise at the IPL auction, which motivated the youngster to work even harder to progress at the next level.

And rightly so, he is reaping rewards for his consistent performances at the domestic level when the pacer was selected in India A’s squad for three four-day games in England. It was a dream come true for the Maharashtra-born lad, who looks forward to this opportunity to learn under the guidance of Rahul Dravid, the coach for India A.

Big moment for the speedster

After earning a name for himself on the back of his game-changing spells in the business end of the Ranji Trophy, Gurbani has impressed one and all with his performances with the ball to help him move a step forward in his career. The speedster was ecstatic on his selection in India A squad as he desires to imbibe new learning in his game from certainly the best in the business.

“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. The pacer gives his selection due emphasis which is a result of some dedicated hard work.  “I will try to learn everything from him (Dravid). This is a big moment for me,” the pacer adds.

Not hit by the IPL disappointment

IPL has been a huge platform which allows the youngster to express them on the big stage but the Vidarbha was not hit by the disappointment of not getting a chance at the world’s most lucrative T20 league. In fact, it gave him the much-needed motivation to work harder and excel at the higher level.

“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 boy explains.

Now since he is a part of the squad, opportunity awaits for him to make them count with a string of some consistent performances to make a shot for selection at the senior level. “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 concluded.

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