Angkrish Raghuvanshi has insisted that his focus remains on refining his skills and growing as a cricketer, downplaying any possibilities of being selected for the Indian national team.
“I don’t really think about that too much. I just think about improving my own game as much as I can,” he told Press Trust of India in an interview.
Raghuvanshi said he is always working on his batting, fielding skills, and wicketkeeping. He added, “I’m just trying to improve day by day, learn, and get as good as I can.”
Judging Performance on Team Results
The Mumbai batter explained that he judges his performances based on the team’s results. He remains focused on elevating his skills as a top-order batter and wicketkeeper.
“I felt I prepared as hard as I could, but I only judge my performances based on whether the team has won or not,” he added.
Competition for spots in the Indian team across formats has intensified. Specialist batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma are also working on their bowling skills. Raghuvanshi faces a tough battle but is not focusing on the competition just yet.
White-Ball Tournament Learnings
While the 21-year-old did not get many opportunities in red-ball domestic cricket for Mumbai cricket team, he featured in both white-ball tournaments, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“We didn’t win any of the white-ball tournaments, but it’s okay. There are lots of learnings from it, and I will work harder and come back a better player,” he continued.
“All the seasons I play are equally important because I play every match like it’s going to be my last. I treat every match as important as the next one. I’ve been playing a lot of cricket this year, so I feel well-prepared and hopefully I can do the job for the team and help us win.”
Wicketkeeping a New Challenge
Raghuvanshi’s skills behind the wickets could also be handy for KKR. They, like other teams, will be challenged to find the right combination in the early stages of the Indian Premier League. They also have Tim Seifert, Finn Allen and Tejasvi Dahiya as specialist wicketkeepers in the squad.
“My Mumbai T20 team needed me to keep, so I said why not? It’s a new challenge, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve been practicing it quite a bit, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Learning from Abhishek Nayar
With his mentor and coach Abhishek Nayar now taking over as head coach of KKR, Raghuvanshi believes there is much to learn.
“It’s going to be a great learning experience for me as well as the entire team. He has a great cricketing mind and is a great person,” he said.
“I’ve already learned a lot from him, and this season will be no different. I’ll continue to learn and hopefully we win a lot of matches and the tournament together,” Raghuvanshi added.