Mumbai: After being selected for the T20Is against Sri Lanka at home, all-rounder Deepak Hooda said that he has learnt a lot from the veteran Yuvraj Singh.
Hooda, 22 is the captain of the Baroda side in domestic cricket and has scored 2,208 runs in 31 matches. He has also shared the dressing room with Yuvraj while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“Look, you get a lot to learn from Yuvi Paa (Yuvraj Singh). All the way, he used to tell me how (how to play), how to bat at different situations, he always spoke about my strengths, told me about my weaknesses, how to react to a bowler, how to take the team ahead,” said Hooda.
He further added, “Yuvi Paa is like a role model for me. And in the two years, I have learned a lot from him and will apply them.”
Last year in a Ranji Trophy match, Hooda had scored a majestic 293 against a Punjab side led by Yuvraj and interestingly, the left-hander too had scored a double hundred.
The youngster was expectedly a happy man after he was picked to be a part of the squad and said that he is looking forward to learn from the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
“My feeling (at the moment) is very good. It is a dream comes true for my family. I am feeling good,” he said.
He further added, “I will try and learn maximum things (after being with the team). I will observe how Dhoni bhai (MS Dhoni), Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma), and all other players react (to situations), and that will be a learning.”
The Baroda all-rounder was a part of the India A team that played against New Zealand A and said that his abilities with both the bat and ball helps him.
“Yes, I being an all-rounder will obviously benefit me. I am an all-rounder and presently doing both the things (batting and bowling) good. I am feeling confident about my batting and bowling. I will give my 110 per cent,” Hooda said.
He also expressed his administration for former English cricketer Kevin Peterson.
“To be honest, I very much admire Kevin Peterson. When I have started watching cricket, I admired Peterson, for the way he played,” he said.