Siddharth Kaul informed about National team inclusion by umpires in Ranji game

Kaul was an integral part of the India U19 team that won the World Cup back in 2008 – a team that included current Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He jumped straight into the domestic competitions, where he picked up 175 wickets in 50 matches at an average of 26.82, and started putting up impressive numbers. This attracted scouts from IPL teams and he was picked up by Delhi in 2013. Over the next two years, he played 11 matches for the North Indian side claiming 6 wickets. 

However, last year he found himself in Hyderabad – the defending Champions who boasted names such as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra, and Mustafizur Rahim. Luckily for Kaul, injuries to Nehra and Rahim handed him the opportunity to showcase his abilities on the grandest stage in Indian cricket, an opportunity he grabbed with both hands. In the 10 matches that he played for the Sunrisers, Kaul claimed 16 wickets at an average of 18.75. In a career that has been full of surprises, it was only fitting that he received the news of his inclusion in India’s squad for the Sri Lanka series in an unusual way.

“It was drinks break at that time and one of the umpires came up to me and said that match referee sir (Chaturvedi) had informed that I have been selected in the Indian ODI squad. I didn’t know how to react at that moment. It was the biggest piece of news in my cricketing career and I got it on field,” Kaul told PTI.

“I was always hopeful that if I keep performing, I would get my share of chances. Yes, it was a great feeling to win the U-19 World Cup but all these years I knew that good performance at the domestic level would be rewarded. I had to focus on being consistent in domestic cricket. That was my endeavour and this is a reward for that.”

Kaul has been a part of the India A team for a while now and has produced some eye-catching performances in Australia and South Africa. As the norm dictates, Kaul was quick to acknowledge the Rahul Dravid guidance and its role in helping him become a better cricketer.

“Playing for India A or IPL is top level cricket and it always gives you that confidence that you can belong to a certain level. What helped me was my interactions with Rahul Dravid. Rahul sir would always tell me that self belief is key for any player. At this level, it is about doing small things right on a consistent basis. That’s what I did when I was playing against New Zealand A or South Africa A,” Kaul added.

But Dravid wasn’t the only coach who has had an impact on his career. Coming from a cricketing family, his father, Dr Tej Kaul, has always been one of the people he depends on for advice. As a youngster, Kaul struggled to generate enough pace to trouble batsmen on docile Indian wickets and it was Punjab trainer Sagar Diwan guidance that helped him add an additional 10kmph to his speed.

“I would give a lot of credit to our Punjab team trainer Sagar Diwan. He was associated with the Chandigarh Golf Club and now with the Ranji team. Training with him has increased my fitness and stamina and has also helped in increasing my pace. I am also able to move the ball both ways consistently,” Kaul revealed.