“When you wear the Indian jersey, you think about the team first” - Deepak Hooda on his mindset ahead of Ireland T20Is

Deepak Hooda has admitted that it is very tough to find a spot in the current Indian team given the competition for places. At the same time, the right-handed batter asserted that when representing the country, his mindset is always about putting the team first.

With Ruturaj Gaikwad unfit to open due to an injury, Hooda went up the order in both the T20Is against Ireland in Dublin. The aggressive batter grabbed his opportunities with both hands and registered scores of 47* and 104.

Asked about his mindset heading into the short series against Ireland, the 27-year-old said:

“It is very difficult to find a place in the Indian team and even more difficult to perform consistently. At the same time, when you wear the Indian jersey, that time you never think about yourself, you think about the team first. That’s my mindset - how can I contribute to the team? How can I play better in that situation?"

He added:

"I don’t think much and try to keep things simple. I am proud to be representing India and if I work hard, I will perform and provide competition.”

For his fantastic batting efforts, the right-handed batter was named Player of the Match in the second T20I as well as Player of the Series.

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“Everybody is following the culture of the Indian team” - Deepak Hooda on youngsters being part of Ireland T20Is

Asked how the youngsters in the team are coping with the challenges of international cricket, Hooda asserted that everyone is following the culture put in place by the seniors. He stated:

“There are many youngsters in the team and everybody is trying to find a spot in the team. Everybody is following the culture of the Indian team. We are on the same path that we planned at the start of the year and we are doing good.”

Speaking about his personal goals, the batter who represented the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during IPL 2022 said:

“Being a cricketer, what I have learned lately is you should not look too ahead. You should take one game at a time. If my work ethics are right, I will be in a good space of mind and I’ll score. The outcome will come, maybe not now but later, but it will come.”

Hooda has so far represented India in two ODIs and five T20Is, scoring 55 and 172 runs, respectively.

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