All-rounder Deepak Hooda said that it was a dream come true moment for him when he received his ODI debut cap from former skipper Virat Kohli ahead of the first ODI against West Indies.
Hooda has always dreamed of playing for India and receiving the debut cap from either Kohli or the legendary MS Dhoni .He also stated that he has worked hard for representing the Indian side and stated that he feels blessed to be a part of the Indian cricket team. “I made my debut in the first ODI, it was an amazing feeling. You always work hard for that, before the match I spoke to you. I feel blessed to be a part of the side. It was my childhood dream to get cap from either MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli. Getting the cap from Kohli was an amazing feeling. I worked on side lining the distraction and work on my process,” said Hooda in a video released on BCCI.tv.
“After getting once into the Indian team, I had a bad domestic season. But at the same time, I had it in me that I had to keep the distraction on the sidelines and work on my process. This is the thing I was doing. The thing which was driving me was that I had to go every day, keep the process right and be a better player. Good things take time but keep yourself ready. Obviously, it is a blessed feeling to share the dressing room with Virat bhai, Rohit bhai and Rahul Dravid bhai. They all have been legends of the game and you always get to learn a lot. Seeing their processes, being a youngster, there is learning everywhere which I felt personally.” Hooda added
Notably in both matches, the 26-year-old scored 26 not out and 29. With his part-time off-spin, Hooda took out Shamarh Brooks in the second match as India clinched the series, ensuring the third ODI on Friday would become a dead rubber. India lead the series 2-0 ahead of the final game.