Ranji hero heads for B’desh to try his luck

Even as he was attending a practice session with his Haryana teammates at the Palam ground here this afternoon in preparation for the Ranji Trophy game against Services (starting Saturday), Joginder received the news of his selection. ‘‘If picked to play in the final XI, I’ll surely try to keep a good line and length,’’ said Joginder whose main bowling weapon is his outswing.

Add to that, as his coach at the Rohtak Cricket Academy Ashwini Kumar says, ‘‘he is very good with the old ball and he reverse swings the ball very well’’.

The former student of Delhi’s Aurobindo College and one who had been turning out regularly for Delhi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri CC, Rajdhani CC and ONGC, he got a chance to impress the selectors a couple of months ago when he was part of a Board President’s XI playing the touring Australians. But he didn’t grab the opportunity with either hand.

But in the domestic circuit, ever since making his Ranji debut a couple of seasons ago, Jogi has been making waves with his all-round ability. He’ll hope that — given the opportunity — he can translate some of that form on to the international stage. And with the Bangladeshis offering as little resistance as can be in international cricket, Joginder might actually create a stir.

Something Ashwini Kumar also hopes for, when he says, ‘‘I hope he can do for the country what he has done for Haryana so consistently.’’