I've been fortunate enough to have spoken to Dhoni a couple of times: Anuj Rawat

A big fan of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rajasthan Royals' talented youngster Anuj Rawat, who had met the Indian legend during the first phase of IPL 2021 in Mumbai, on Friday disclosed about the valuable tips he got from the former Indian skipper.

"I've been fortunate enough to have spoken to him a couple of times. This time I just asked him about what he meant when he said in an interview that an athlete should be honest with him/herself, to which he replied by saying that an athlete should be honest with himself in terms of knowing what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong.

"In essence, it meant that if you are feeling lazy one day and skip a training session, then you should know that it's wrong, and that you're the one who's responsible for cheating your body," Anuj said in a statement.

The young wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut in the IPL earlier this year. The 21-year-old played a crucial role on the field for Rajasthan with three outstanding catches in their 55-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, and along with spending time with his family and friends in his hometown, Anuj is now gearing up for a big rendition in the UAE.

"I was really happy that I could make my IPL debut for the Royals. It was unfortunate that the season was postponed but given our current position in terms of being fifth on the table, I think it puts us in good stead with respect to the resumption in the UAE," expressed the youngster who represents Delhi in domestic cricket.

"Remembering that some of our players had to depart and some were unavailable for most part of the competition, I believe it was a good overall performance from our team, and we are really confident of making the most of the next seven matches and give ourselves the best chance of making it to the playoffs," he added.


Recollecting what led him to his debut, Anuj said persisting with full focus and energy in practice sessions paid dividends. "I just had one thing in my mind, to give my hundred per cent. I was putting in a lot of hard work in the practice sessions. I had confidence in myself, and deep down, I had a feeling that I'll get my chance when we go to the Delhi-leg of our matches because it's my home stadium and I am well accustomed to those conditions.

"When Sanga told me that I would be starting, it felt nice, and I was really motivated to go out there and do my best for the team. Now I'm looking forward to doing the same things again in the UAE, and help the team in whatever way I can, whether it's on the field or with the bat," added the talented youngster who also believes that "the wickets in UAE really suit his batting, having experienced the conditions with the Royals in 2020 - IANS