SRH's local pick Syed Mehdi Hasan idolizes a player from the team

There is no denial of the fact that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most fascinating T20 league in the world. Stars, as well as amateurs, use it as a platform to showcase their cricketing skills in the shortest format of the game. It is a stage well set, especially for the domestic Indian players who wish to wear the blue jersey. From Yuzuvendra Chahal to Hardik Pandya to the most recent, Jaydev Unadkat are all gems who gained the spotlight with the IPL.

This year, a Ranji cricketer from Hyderabad Syed Mehdi Hasan has been given this opportunity. He has been playing domestic cricket since 2011. He is a left-arm spin bowler and his style is pretty conventional. Having been a consistent performer in domestic cricket Mehdi was expected to bag a contract in 2017 but things didn’t quite go his way. This year, his name came up on the second day of auction and he was extremely nervous about it.

Was hoping SRH would pick him

The 27-year-old went unsold after the first round but later the local team Sunrisers Hyderabad bid for him and that just amplified his happiness as he would play for his home franchise in front of the excited crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

“After playing Ranji for years now, I knew I had good cricket in me. And the IPL is the best Twenty20 league happening around the world. I had to be a part of it. Secretly I was hoping that my home team would pick me but again, getting the opportunity to play is bigger than playing for your home team. With Sunrisers, the game has got just bigger and better!” he said talking about the auction as quoted by Deccan Chronicles in an exclusive interview.

He considers this an opportunity to interact and share the dressing room with some of the class players from across the world and wants to make the most out of it. He idolizes VVS Laxman and is excited to have him as the mentor of his team. Mehdi has started preparing for the tournament already with regular workouts and practice sessions with specialists at the Uppal stadium.

“Apart from playing cricket, I am like any other guy who loves to watch movies and go around trying different restaurants and cuisines,” he concluded.