Parthiv Patel feels it's a good time to be a wicketkeeper in India

Parthiv Patel made his debut, in England, way back in 2002 as a 17-year old. And that seems a long way back. He was never able to cement his place in the Indian team and almost 16 years down the line, Parthiv is still on the fringes of the Indian team.

Parthiv who played the second and third Test in South Africa, after regular keeper Wriddhiman Saha was injured, opined that it is a great time to be a wicketkeeper in India. Speaking at a promotional event organized by Royall Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the 33-year old who is facing tough competition from the likes of Saha and Dinesh Karthik, Patel felt that the competition is good for Indian cricket. 

“On the contrary, I feel this is a great phase for wicketkeepers. There was a time when wicketkeepers were dropped and changed every now and then, but now we have two-three players who are in contention for the job. It is good to have competition for Indian cricket,” Parthiv was quoted saying by TOI. 

On Saturday, former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani had said Parthiv was not groomed well after the former made his India debut. However, the Gujarat wicketkeeper didn’t want to react to Kirmani’s comment and added that everyone is entitled to their respective opinions. 

“At this point of my career, I don't think I should be reacting to anything said about me. I have a lot of respect for Kirmani sir and have learnt a lot of skills from him. Like others, he is entitled to an opinion, but I don't want to react to anything, be it good or bad, at this point of time. Maybe after some years when I hang my boots, I will only react to things said about me, but not now," he said. 

Parthiv Patel who was bought by RCB this year for Rs 1.7 crore thought that he was the most travelled player in the IPL. He also felt that it is great to have a captain like Virat Kohli and was optimistic about the upcoming season. 

“I am probably the most travelled player in terms of changing teams in the IPL. I have been to new teams and have been through the settling-down phases earlier too. I have played for RCB for one year and it is a great team to be a part of and with a captain like Virat, I think we will have a good season ahead,” Parthiv added.