Back home, young Shreevats reckons that the IPL experience has helped him and other wide-eyed youngsters who took part in the Twenty20 tournament to get over big-match “jitters” and the “feelings of insecurity”.

Speaking to The Indian Express this evening, Shreevats said: “After playing in the IPL, that feeling of insecurity is gone. As a newcomer trying to make a mark on the circuit, you feel a little insecure. But after rubbing shoulders with the greats of international cricket, getting to interact with them, and sharing the same stage, that fear is gone. I am more confident today.”

Shreevats, who played a key role in the Indian under-19 team’s World Cup triumph in Malaysia earlier this year, asserts that the IPL episode is the best thing to have happened to the country’s young guns on the psychological front.

Making a mark

Playing for the beleaguered Bangalore Royal Challengers, Shreevats was played quite late into the tournament, making his first appearance in the team’s 11th match. But he made his presence felt almost immediately to Rahul Dravid & Co, scoring 52 against Delhi and walking away with the Man of the Match award. The chirpy wicket-keeper played in three other matches, totalling 82 runs.

Shreevats, who surprisingly missed the cut for the twin tours of the just-selected Emerging Players teams for Australia and Israel, admitted that the award came as quite a surprise. “I was happy with my performance, but the award was still a real surprise. Actually, I didn’t even know such an award was to be given out,” he laughed.

Handy tips

Shreevats said he’s grateful to former South Africa wicket-keeping stalwart Mark Boucher, who was his team mate in the Bangalore team. “It was a great experience spending more than a month with players like Rahul Dravid in the dressing room. But the most special experience for me was my interaction with Boucher. He has so much experience at the highest level, and he passed on some valuable tips to me. He was of great help for me not just on the technical front. I also realised how important it is for a wicket-keeper in the team to pep up the rest of the team,” Shreevats said.