Interview: "Hard-work and determination should never stop" says Jharkhand's Virat Singh

Virat Singh is a 20-year-old batsman who is currently playing for Jharkhand in the domestic circuit. He is also a part of the core team of East Zone. Furthermore, he has also represented the Indian U-19 team on multiple occasions.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Virat talks about his cricketing experience with Jharkhand, East Zone, and Indian U-19 Team.

You were selected in the Jharkhand U-19 Team at the age of 14. At that time, what all was going through your mind when you were selected at such a tender age?

Virat: Well, I was almost 15 by then. I knew it was going to challenging but it was important for me to carry a lot of confidence for the campaign. Moreover, I was also performing consistently in the U-16s.

What inspired you to choose cricket as your career? Who has been the person behind your accomplishments in the domestic cricket?

Virat: I was always interested in cricket since childhood. It came naturally to me. Furthermore, my family also had a lot of interest in cricket and I moved onto become a cricketer.

There are many people who should be given the credits for my accomplishments in the domestic cricket. Venkat Sir was my childhood coach who gave me the initial training in cricket. Then, Anjan Nandi to Rajiv Sir who is presently our Ranji coach. Sunny Gupta is a senior player who has helped me a lot to improvise my game.

Your brother, Vishal Singh is also a professional cricketer who plays for Jharkhand. What kind of relations have you shared with him in your cricketing career?

Virat: He is a very good hardworking cricketer as well. He has also been performing consistently well in the Jharkhand domestic matches. However, it’s unfortunate that he hasn’t got a chance to showcase his skills in the first class cricket.

We practice together and support and help each other whenever it's required.

In the 2013-14 season, you captained Jharkhand in the Cooch Behar Trophy. How did you take up this responsibility at such a young age?

Virat: Well, to be honest, captaincy came naturally to me as I had been captaining sides since U-16 cricket. In-spite of taking the pressure, I enjoy captaining the side. Furthermore, I have also learned a lot from Dhoni bhai on how to be calm and composed during captaincy.

How was your experience with the Indian U-19 team alongside players like Washington Sundar and Rishabh Pant?

Virat: It was altogether a great experience. Back then, we used to enjoy each other’s company and used to fight hard against the opposition on the field. They have been performing well for the country. I hope that I'll catch them soon and it would be great if we represent the senior team together.

East Zone has been performing exceptionally from the past few years. According to you, who is the man who has uplifted the entire team? Furthermore, how has been your experience with players like Manoj Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi?

Virat: Yes, East Zone’s cricket has improved a lot over the past few years. Lots of cricketers are coming up and doing well for the team. It's all about the positive mindset that we take into every match. We have never considered ourselves lower from the other zonal players.

It was really a good experience playing alongside Manoj Tiwary. He is a very supportive and experienced skipper. Ishank Jaggi and I have been representing Jharkhand for a long time now. Thus, we always gelled well together.

There are a lot of young cricketers who are frustrated due to lack of opportunities. What piece of advice would like to give to them?

Virat: At times I also get frustrated when I don’t get picked up in the IPL. But then your hard-work and determination should never stop. You have to keep up the hard-work no matter what is happening in your life. You need to display some good performances in order to earn a place in the team you aspire to play for.