The side might have been assembled in the eleventh hour to take on Australia in the practice here game on Tuesday, but everyone, right from skipper Gurkeerat Mann, knows the value of a match that won’t even be considered List-A.
For, they are taking on one of the strongest ODI sides in the world — the World champion, in fact — and a good performance could have a big impact on their careers.
Team coach Hemang Badani, who knows a thing or two about using such a side game as a launch pad to national reckoning, said on Monday, “All the guys are raring to go because this is an opportunity for them to do well. Guys like (Gurkeerat) stand a good chance to get some runs on the board or get wickets and get back into the national side.
“I would go back to personal experience. I was out of the team and got a 100 in a side game against New Zealand and that kind of paved my way back into the ODI side. They do realise, one good knock or a five-wicket haul gets them back into the reckoning.”
For Gurkeerat, the opponents are not unfamiliar, having made his debut against the Aussies down under in 2016 and also played quite a few of the current Oz players in an ‘A’ tri-series here two years back, where his performances played a key role in getting a national call-up in the first place.
“I am really excited, especially since I made my debut against Australia. So I have got an opportunity to play against them again.”
The Board President’s XI comprises those who were ignored for the Duleep Trophy, but had done well in the IPL and the Vijay Hazare and Deodhar Trophy), with the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana, Washington Sundar and Rahil Shah to name a few.
When asked whether it was a message from the selection committee that this bunch was being groomed for the shorter format, Gurkeerat said, “I think that’s a possibility. But, it’s just that wherever you get selected you need to perform at your best.
“The rest is in the selectors’ hands.”