Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Parthiv Patel, the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman was involved in a live candid session with RP Singh, the former Indian pacer. During the chat, they discussed several cricketing topics and shared some of their cricket experience with the fans. In the meantime, the Gujarat veteran revealed that he was disappointed on not being picked for India’s tour of Australia in 2007-08.

The 35-year-old made his international debut back in 2002 and created a record for being the youngest wicket-keeper to play in international cricket at the age of 17 years and 153 days. But Parthiv Patel couldn’t retain his place due to the lack of consistent performances. Later on, the arrival of MS Dhoni closed the doors for him to get picked as the first-choice wicket-keeper in the national side.

Parthiv Patel remembers his call with chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar

On Wednesday during a live Instagram session, Parthiv Patel recalled the time when the squad for Australia tour was to be picked. He was competing for the second choice wicketkeeper in Team India as MS Dhoni had already cemented his place on the back of his remarkable performances. But he was disappointed for not getting picked by the selectors.

“It is important to be in the right place at the right time. When the team got selected for the Australia tour in 2008, I was competing for the second wicket-keeper slot as Dhoni had cemented his place as the first-choice pick. I was disappointed when I did not get picked in the squad,” Parthiv Patel said during the Live Instagram session with RP Singh.

He also added that Dilip Vengsarkar, the chief selector at that time called him and told that he was playing well in the domestic circuit and then revealed the news of him not travelling to Australia with the team. Parthiv Patel also said that he had realised by then that he won’t be looked at as the first-choice wicketkeeper as MS Dhoni was captain as well.

“Dilip Vengsarkar was the chairman of selectors, he called me and said you have been performing well, keep at it and then he told me that I was not selected for Australia. We all were competing for the second-wicket keeper slot. At that time, I used to think of giving my best in every match I play, you knew the reality that the skipper of the side is wicket-keeper, so you cannot be selected in the squad as the first choice,” he added.