Deepak Hooda prepared to give his 110% if he gets chance to debut in Sri Lanka

One of the products of India’s robust Under-19 set-up, Deepak Hooda, boasts of his ability to change games in no time that helped him find a place in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad and subsequently, in the T20I series squad against Sri Lanka last December. While he didn’t get a chance to make his debut in that series, he showed his capability in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy by smashing a hundred and a fifty.

He has scored at a strike-rate of 150-plus during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which included two fifties that helped him find a place in the second-string Indian side for the Nidahas Trophy. And this time, he hopes to don the India colours during a match.

"This is an important series. I did not get a chance (to play) in the first series (in which I was selected), I hope that I will now get a chance and I am prepared for it. I will give my 110 percent," Hooda told PTI.

So far in his career, Hooda has played 31 first-class games amassing a total of 2208 runs during the course of the career while claiming seven wickets. However, he got an amazing experience of breathing the same air as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in the dressing room and also got a chance to discuss few things about his game with the former skipper. And before leaving for Colombo, Hooda revealed that he is applying those things that Dhoni has taught him.

"Yes, that (being in the Indian dressing room) obviously helped. There are big players in the team, who have done so much for the nation. Speaking to them, you learn a lot. I asked MS (Dhoni), that being (batting) at number five, what should be my thinking and we discussed it and he told me (about it) and I am applying it," he added.

India will play the curtain raiser of the Nidahas Trophy – a tournament being played to celebrate the island nation's 70th year of independence - against Sri Lanka on March 6.