Want to play at least 100-150 Tests for India, asserts Priyam Garg
Young stalwart Priyam Garg, who led India to the U19 World Cup Final earlier this year, has asserted that his goal is to leave a legacy behind in international cricket and thus wants to play at least 100-150 Tests for the country. Garg also revealed that he models his persona around Dhoni.
A flamboyant stroke-maker with immaculate grace who can hit the ball as clean as a whistle, Meerut-born youngster Priyam Garg has, thus far, enjoyed an astonishing start to his career. Garg’s prolific first-class average of 66.69 saw him feature in the Duleep Trophy last season, while his exploits in the Vijay Hazare Trophy - 287 runs at an average of 47.83 - saw him be picked for the ‘India C’ side in the Deodhar Trophy, where he even scored a breathtaking 74 in the final. The 19-year-old then capped off his breakthrough season by leading the Indian U19 side, which also featured the likes of Kartik Tyagi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, to the final of the 2020 U19 World Cup.
Having already achieved plenty in his so-far-young career, Garg is keen to make it count when he eventually makes it to international cricket. In an interview with TOI, the right-hander revealed that he is aiming for the moon and wants to play 100-150 Tests for India and break a plethora of records if and when he gets into the national side.
“Every cricketer has a dream to represent his country someday. Not just represent, a player wants to achieve milestones and break records for his country. I also want to represent my country (senior team),” Garg told TOI.
“I just don’t want to go and play some matches and sit back. I want to go and play for as long as possible. I want to play at least 100 to 150 Tests for India. That's my ultimate goal. I am 19 right now and have time to prepare myself for the big stage."
A striking feature of the youngster that was witnessed in the U19 WC was his ice-cold demeanour as both player and captain, something that was evident from the way he handled the loss versus Bangladesh in the final with grace and class. Garg revealed that MS Dhoni played a huge role in shaping him up as both player and captain and added that he often spends time watching and learning how Dhoni goes about situations - both as a batsman and captain.
“I follow Dhoni sir. He is my idol and inspiration. I follow his footsteps when it comes to batting or captaincy. I have learnt how to remain calm and adapt to any situation and condition from Dhoni sir.
“I have watched his batting videos very closely and learnt from those. I always watch his videos of matches in which he turned the game on its head with his captaincy, batting or field-setting skills,” the 19-year-old said.
Garg also thanked Bhuvneshwar Kumar, another cricketer who hails from Meerut, for helping him during his early days and revealed that the pacer went as far as providing him with kits during times of despair.
“Bhuvi bhaiya is from my town. He has helped me a lot. I am still a kid in front of him. He has picked me up from my house and dropped me to the cricket ground in his car many times. I have seen hard times. I always wanted to be a batsman, so he provided me with cricket bats, gloves, pads and stumps too. He often asked me ‘do you need anything’? And, the next day he arranged that for me. He has always helped me a lot.”