Balaji credits performances with KKR for national recall – Cricket News Update
Indian medium-pacer http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lakshmipathy-Balaji-c72130 has credited his stint with the Indian Premier League franchise the Kolkata Knight Riders as the reason behind his recall to the national squad after a period of roughly three years.
“I attribute my comeback to the national team to my stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League,” stated Balaji while in conversation with the
PTI. “I have been in good form for the past two seasons for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Knights-c805 and I am grateful that the selectors have taken notice of my performances.”
The 30-year-old, who last played for the Men In Blue in February 2009, during an ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in Colombo, has suffered a slew of injuries over the last decade, many of which have threatened to end his career (among these a stress fracture in 2005
which kept him away from cricket for nearly 3 years).
However, his recent performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders have caught the eyes of the selectors once again, and the medium-pacer has been named in the 15-man squad for an upcoming T20 series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754.
Balaji took 10 wickets in eight games for the Knight Riders in the 2012 season of the IPL, at the end of which the KKR emerged as champions. Praising the tournament as a method for gauging a players’ worth by testing him against international-standard players,
Balaji pointed out that his performances against top batsmen proved that he deserved a place in the Indian team.
“The fact that IPL is an international tournament, helps you to assess your exact standard among the international cricketers,” said Balaji. “I have bowled to the best batsmen in the world and I knew that I am good enough to play for my national team.”
If included in the playing XI, the right-armer will be granted an opportunity to prove his worth against the Black Caps in two T20Is, the first of which is scheduled for September 8 in Visakhapatnam, while the second will be played on September 11 in Chennai.
The series offers Balaji, who has also been named in India’s preliminary 30-man squad for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka this September, a prime opportunity to impress selectors and make his way back into the national squad.
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