'My performance was not up to the mark': Parthiv Patel refutes 'Dhoni's-era' analogy

Parthiv Patel said it will be wrong to say that his cricketing career was shortened because of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's presence. Parthiv had made his international debut at a young age of 17 in 2002. He was a part of many of India's memorable moments i.e. the 2003 World Cup where the Men In Blue had made it to the finals, drawing the Test series in Australia in 2003/04,  registering ODI and Test series wins in Pakistan, etc. 

MS Dhoni, on the other hand, had made his international debut in December 2004 and once he established himself, there was no looking back for the next one-and-a-half decade as he proved that he had permanently consolidated the wicket-keeper batsman's slot. Keepers including the likes of Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Wriddhiman Saha could not succeed in finding a place in the team due to Mahi's talent.

READ: Pak Test Captain Azhar Ali Says Eng Top-order Has Been 'fragile' Since Cook's Retirement

'It will be wrong': Parthiv Patel

“Many people said to me that I was born in a wrong era and that it was Dhoni’s era but I have told it before also that I made my India debut before MS Dhoni. It will be wrong if I seek sympathy by saying that my career was shortened because of MS Dhoni’s presence,” said Parthiv while interacting with his former India Test team-mate Aakash Chopra on the latter's official Youtube channel. “I think my performance was not up to the mark and that is why others got a chance. Dinesh Karthik got it first and then MS Dhoni. If I was doing well then nobody could have replaced me. I have never sought that sympathy of not playing for long because I was born in Dhoni’s era,” the veteran stumper added. 

“I was scared when I got dropped. I used to think I will not be able to catch even a tennis ball because many former cricketers and journalists were writing a lot of things about me and I read all of them. That brought a sense of fear in me and I was scared”.

 "Then I started playing cricket with Under-16 guys just to get back my confidence, I used to bat and keep with them just to see if I can play cricket again or not. I started from zero after getting dropped in 2004. When I started enjoying I made a promise to myself that I will enjoy my cricket at whatever level I play at, whether it’s district or club matches,” the Gujarat cricketer further added.