Exciting times for Indian 'keepers: Parthiv Patel

KOLKATA: Parthiv Patel made his debut at 17 to become Test cricket's youngest wicket-keeper way back in 2002. Unfortunately, he not only lost his place in the side, but also got eclipsed following the arrival of Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the scene. The gritty Parthiv, however, remained on the periphery of the national side.His perseverance paid off and Parthiv found himself back in the team earlier this year. And by his own admission, the diminutive wicket-keeper-batsman is enjoying the current scenario where a number of glovesmen are competing against one another to get into the Indian team."These are exciting times for us. There are a number of wicket-keepers at this point of time waiting for their chance," he stated. But instead of coming under any pressure, Parthiv feels the competition is actually helping them all to perform better. "There is a healthy competition which is bringing the best out of us," added Parthiv, who will turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL XI beginning next month.To elucidate his point, Patel pointed to Dinesh Karthik's hurricane match-winning knock in T20 tri-series final in Sri Lanka earlier this month. "Whoever is playing has to be on the top of the game whenever he gets an opportunity. That's the reason you see whoever is coming in is doing so well," the Gujarat captain said.Parthiv, who is 33 now, admitted that the role of a wicket-keeper has changed over the years. "Keeping wickets is no longer the sole criterion for selection now. The game has evolved. One has to contribute handsomely with bat, too. It's as good as an all-rounder's job now," he opined. "I feel everyone is trying to match the high standard Dhoni has set."Talking about the upcoming England tour, post IPL, Patel said keeping wickets there poses a huge challenge. "I made my debut there and played for India 'A' as well. The ball not only seams a lot in Engalnd, but also wobbles after leaving the batsman. It's quite difficult to gather those cleanly," he said.As of now, Parthiv is excited about playing under India skipper Virat Kohli at the Royal Challengers Bangalore. "When Virat's captaining, you have to be on your toes. He brings in a lot of positive energy and makes sure you are giving 100 per cent," he said. Although Virat is known to wear the emotions on his sleeves, Parthiv said "he never takes on-field issues back to the dressing room. His reactions are spontaneous and on the field only."Parthiv's RCB team-mate Pawan Negi is also happy to remain with RCB, who used the Right to Match card to retain him. "If your captain supports you, it releases the pressure. I'm excited about playing and contributing for RCB," he said.The all-rounder admitted that he has gained a lot by interacting with coach Daniel Vettori last year and is looking forward to picking the former left-arm spinner's brain over the new couple of months. "He is a legend. He taught me how to vary my length in T20 games," Negi stated.Negi, who was costliest Indian player at the 2016 IPL auction after the Delhi Daredevils picked him up for Rs 8.50 crore, also admitted that his life had changed after that. "The huge money makes a difference to your lifestyle. But more importantly, I've improved as a player too," he added.