IPL 2022 | Suresh Raina entered my life like a god, says Kartik Tyagi

Kartik Tyagi made his presence in the last two editions of the Indian Premier League when he was a part of the Rajasthan Royals. In his IPL career so far, Tyagi has played 14 games and scalped 13 wickets with an economy rate of 9.41. The young fast-bowler was noticed for his performances in the under-19 world cup in 2020 as he took 11 wickets during the tournament. However, the 21-year-old says it was Suresh Raina who changed his career. 

"Like I always say one thing, that after Under-16, Suresh Raina entered my life like a god because people started to recognise me when I was selected for Ranji Trophy. When I was 13, I participated in the Under-14 trials and this is where my cricketing journey began. I started playing for the Under-14 team and then Under-16. In the U-16, there was a season where I got 50 wickets in 7 matches. That is where the selectors started noticing that there is a player who has been taking a lot of wickets at the State level. Despite taking plenty of wickets, we reached the finals but lost. It was there that Gyanendra Pandey sir spotted me and he said that he was impressed by my performances and he will promote me going forward" Kartik Tyagi told his franchise SRH in a video shared by them.

Tyagi further narrated the incident when Suresh Raina noticed his performance and praised him.

"From there I reached the State Ranji Trophy camp. When I arrived, I was just a 16-year-old youngster while the others were established players. Then there was an incident where Suresh Raina had also come. I used to be very silent and was observing everything. He was about to leave after his practice, but I don't know why he came back to the ground. He then approached me and asked me about what was my role. I told him that I was a bowler and then he gave me a chance to bowl in the nets. He saw my performance and told me that 'I liked your bowling and I will ensure you get chances in the future.' Personally, for me, it was a good thing that someone like Suresh Raina noticed my performance," he stated.

"I was a little shocked that such a big player has complimented me and for a moment, I thought that he was joking. When he said that I was doing well, I still couldn't believe that I will get a chance to play in the coming days. After that, it was quite shocking for me that my name was shortlisted in the UP Ranji team. My Ranji career started from there and later I progressed to the Under-19 team and eventually played the Under-19 World Cup."

Kartik Tyagi will be a bowler to watch out for in the upcoming years as he has the potential to don the Team India jersey.