Chetan Sakariya dreams of playing under MS Dhoni in IPL

2021 was nothing short of eventful for young Indian pacer Chetan Sakariya who overcame several odds including the loss of his father and brother to play for Rajasthan Royals for the first time in the Indian Premier League and earning a call-up to the national side and making his international debut.

Following a few unsuccessful attempts, Sakariya finally secured an IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals worth INR 1.2 crores. He made a startling impression on his debut against Punjab Kings and bowled extremely well throughout the tournament to pick up 14 wickets.

However, the youngster was let go as Rajasthan Royals chose to retain Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal instead ahead of the IPL mega auction. So he finds his name in the final list of 590 players shortlisted for the IPL mega auction which will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13. While there will be no shortage of suitors for the young pace bowler, he wishes to play under Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni and learn from him.

“The last auction changed my life. My dream is to play under MS Dhoni. He has helped so many bowlers evolve. And to pick his brain, watch him prepare, it can take my game to a different level. Dhoni is any bowler’s dream and it will be surreal to play and learn under him. I would love to play under him if I get a chance. But of course, I will give my best in whichever team I go to,” said Sakariya in a conversation with News9.

Chetan Sakariya was then named in the Indian squad for the tour of Sri Lanka while the Test players were busy in England. Not only did Sakariya fulfill his dream of playing for India, he also scalped three wickets across four matches – one T20I and three ODIs.

Sakariya was asleep in his hotel after finishing training in Chennai when a journalist friend called him up to share the news of him being selected in the national team. He immediately called up his mother and shared a very special moment with her.

“The first time I walked into the Indian dressing room, it was like a kid entering the house of his dreams. I was that kid and was just curiously watching everyone as in how they prepare, their body language and all. I knew that I had to wait for my chance but made sure that I observed and picked up things from senior players. They all were very welcoming,” he said.