I was low on confidence, doubted myself at one point: Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel is not a new face in Indian cricket. He made his debut in whites at an age when other teenagers were seen riding their y-generation cycles for adventure. In 23 Test matches, Patel has scored 878 runs, 152 runs more than his ODI figures from 38 outings. He is 32 now, the back-foot punches and pulls are still going strong.

He recently achieved an impressive feat of getting into the 10,000 runs domestic runs club, and still looks hungry for more. He spoke to Sportstar and gave an insight into how he felt after being dropped at the age of 20. Age was on his side but the shutter was down as soon as MS Dhoni arrived in the scene.

“I am happy the way I have tackled the challenges from the time I started playing Test cricket. Then being dropped and suffering a couple of seasons with not even 250 as season’s aggregate was painful. I would be lying if I say I was not low on confidence. I began to doubt myself,” Patel said

Patel also heaped praises on the system and the domestic structure.“I am always there for a change. The BCCI is there to take care of everything that is good for the players. Our national team is doing well because the domestic cricket structure is so good. We have started winning overseas and the players are hungry for success and well equipped to play when touring.” he said.

In the elite club

On reaching the 10,000 runs milestone, Patel said  “For me the goal was 6000 plus runs by Mukund Parmar. It was huge for us. That was the benchmark. I knew I had the ability but 10000 was not an obsession. The goal was to get back into the Indian side and contribute to my team’s victory at all level. I was nervous for the last 10 runs and was counting my progress.”

Patel also said that lifting the Ranji trophy is something he will cherish for life long. “We were confident when no one gave us a chance. I think I played my best innings in the final (against Mumbai). We dropped a few senior players. Told them we don’t want contributors but match-winners. That’s where the performances came from.” he said.