"Haven't spoken to Rohit Sharma..." - Rajat Patidar speaks about learnings from Virat Kohli ahead of potential debut

Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar who was announced as Virat Kohli’s replacement in the Indian squad is likely to make his Test debut against England in the second match of the series in Vishakhapatnam. Rajat Patidar, who has already made his debut for India in ODIs, has said that he is excited to find out if he will be playing his first match in the whites on Friday, February 2.

Rajat Patidar had been injured for a major part of the 2023 season after suffering an Achilles Heel injury. The batter missed the Indian Premier League last season, which came as a big blow for the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise given he was a revelation for them in the 2022 season. Speaking ahead of the second Test match via a Board of Control for Cricket in India video, Patidar said that getting his first Test call-up was special.

“Getting my first Test call-up soon after my recovery has to be my happiest moment. It is my dream to represent my country in Test cricket. It felt very good to get that call. I was playing India A matches and it felt really good,” Rajat Patidar said in a BCCI interview.

The Madhya Pradesh batter is expected to add strength against England’s spin-bowling department. Patidar spoke about being around the India camp and said that he had been learning tricks of the trade from head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma.

“I have played a lot of matches in the domestic circuit with some of the Indian players. I have been interacting with Rahul Dravid sir since the last 2 series. I have not spoken to Rohit Sharma a lot but on this tour, I have listened to him talk about how to bat in different conditions. That gives me a lot of confidence,” Patidar said.

Watch- Rajat Patidar Talking About His Learnings From Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma

Bouncing back after injury 👏
Emotions on maiden Test call-up ✨
Learnings from Captain @ImRo45 & @imVkohli 🙌

In conversation with @rrjjt_01 ahead of the 2nd #INDvENG Test 👌👌#TeamIndia | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/KU4FRyUuW2

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 1, 2024

Rajat Patidar is an aggressive batter by nature and he will be backing his natural game against England if he gets an opportunity in the second Test. He has added some tricks in his book from the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and mentioned how Sharma is helping him in his learning how to tackle field placements.

“I have an aggressive batting style and have batted like this since my domestic cricket debut. I have a habit of playing like that and have not changed a lot of things. I am learning how to tackle field placements from Rohit Sharma,” Rajat Patidar added.

Rajat Patidar also talked about learning cricket from Virat Kohli, the batter said that there was a lot to learn by watching him. Patidar revealed that whenever Virat Kohli bats in the nets, he makes sure that he stands behind and focuses on his technique.

“Whenever Virat Kohli bats in the nets, I stand behind him and watch his movements. Especially his footwork and body movement against the balls pitched up to him, that I am trying to add relentlessly,” Patidar concluded.