If not for the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL), Navdeep Saini would have had to wait over seven months for his first mainstream competitive game.
Since the Delhi-Uttarakhand Ranji Trophy game back in January, Saini, now in the mix of things for the upcoming Duleep Trophy beginning on September 5, had no game time till being roped in by West Delhi Lions for the DPL.
Navdeep is another one of those Indian quicks who risked losing his way even after showing promise early in his international career. Injuries have been a bane for the 31-year-old who had featured in a couple of Tests during India’s unforgettable 2-1 series win in their previous tour to Australia in the 2020-21 season.
The last time Navdeep donned the India cap was in July 2021, in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The tour of Australia beginning in November is certainly on his mind, and he also knows well that to brighten his prospects of being on that flight, he has to attain success for Team B in Duleep.
"Of course, all those things (India's upcoming Test matches) are on my mind. When the schedule gets announced, you start to keep track of everything. But you can’t plan for everything at one time. You need to focus on what’s coming up first and then wait for things to unfold.
"So, at present, I'm just focusing on one tournament at a time and will take things as they come," Navdeep told The Telegraph.
"Mindset-wise, it won't be anything different for me. I've been playing the Delhi Premier League, so whatever the game is, my mindset remains the same as it has been since my early days."
Navdeep is also quite conscious of what he needs to do to be amongst wickets in his upcoming assignments. "In red-ball cricket, patience matters most. It's just about pitching the ball consistently in the same area and getting it to move.
"That’s my strength, which I will focus on. And of course, accuracy. Maintaining line and length is important in red-ball matches and that's what I'll be looking to do," he said.
Following the Ranji game against Uttarakhand in Mohali late in January, Navdeep had to sit out during the entire IPL. Sustaining a shoulder injury during that Uttarakhand clash, he was ruled out of the first four matches of Rajasthan Royals and couldn't find a place in the XI even after recovery.
"During that phase, I wouldn’t overthink or sulk as selection wasn’t in my hands. It depended on the team combination and who they wanted to play," Navdeep recalled.
"But I was keeping my preparation mode on. My practice and all didn’t stop just because I wasn’t getting a chance in the XI."
The presence of Gautam Gambhir — one of Navdeep's former Delhi captains during his early days in first-class cricket — as India head coach is one advantage for the pacer. Being familiar with his bowling and overall game, Gambhir may consider Navdeep for a place in India's five home Tests (against Bangladesh and New Zealand). But that can happen only if the latter performs in Duleep and the pacer knows that.
"Yeah, with Gautambhaiyya there as the India coach, that's some kind of an advantage for me because he has seen me play since the start of my career. But it’s not that my road to the Indian team becomes easier just because Gautambhaiyya is there as the head coach.
"My goal will be to contribute to my team’s cause, something Gautambhaiyya gives a lot of importance to. Even in our Delhi team, he used to make sure only the deserving ones got a chance. So, my focus will be to make myself deserving, as a performer cannot be held back," Navdeep emphasised.
