Leggie Rahul hopes to make quick comeback

Rahul Sharma has seen the best and worst of cricket in the last year or so. Success in IPL opened doors to the Indian dressing room and he did well for India in the ODIs and T-20s. But just when he thought he had made it big, came the controversy involving the Punjab leggie just after he played the last game for his IPL side, the Pune Warriors, earlier this summer.

Picked up by Mumbai Police during an alleged rave party along with the South African Wayne Parnell, and then testing positive for drug usage, Rahul also had to face the ignominy of being dropped from the Indian team for the World T-20 last month. Rahul will have to pick up the threads and plot his comeback into the national side in the coming months. The Ranji Trophy games will give him a chance to make an impression on the new national selection panel as well.

Speaking with Sportline, Rahul spoke about his experience on the India A tour to New Zealand and on the Ranji Trophy being a comeback tool for him: "I have always maintained that I have not done anything wrong and I will continue to do so. As far as my experience during the New Zealand tour goes, it was difficult to bowl on the New Zealand pitches but then that was the ultimate challenge. We will play against Hyderabad in the Ranji opener in the first week of November. I hope to do well in the match ahead of the national team's selection for the England series. And even if I don't make the cut, I would stick to the guns and work hard on my performance in the season under Bhajji paaji's captaincy."

Rahul bagged seven wickets in four matches that India A played against the New Zealand A team.

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