He is ‘settled’ when teammates and friends of his age could be looking to shape up their careers. At 23, he may be tad too young to be married but Pragyan Ojha is enjoying his married life.
And he says he is ready for the responsibilities that come with marriage.
“Life is pretty good after marriage. It is a great feeling as I have a lot of responsibilities too. Playing for India is a bigger responsibility. I can handle both,” says Ojha. The left-arm spinner recently tied the knot with Karabee Biswal, a biochemistry student in Hyderabad.
“She has been a great support to me. Life hasn’t changed much. The only thing that has changed is that now I know I have someone to fall back on. I don’t discuss cricket with her but she knows what I am going through,” the Zimbabwe-bound tweaker further states.
The 23-year-old was not picked for the World Twenty20 despite being one of the most consistent bowlers. For the record, he was adjudged the best bowler of the IPL.
However, Ojha is not upset. “It is a thing of the past. I don’t want to think about it,” he remarks.
Ojha, who is almost a permanent fixture in India Test squad, is eyeing to cement his place in the other two formats — ODI and T20 — with good performance in Zimbabwe.
“This tour is very important for me. It has been almost 8-9 months since I have played in the 50-over format. I am eagerly looking forward to this tour and am pretty excited to don the India colours again. Playing for my country is a top priority,” he says.
The Hyderabad cricketer knows that journey won’t be easy for him though. “I think when you are playing for the country, you can’t expect things to come easily and fall in your lap. I am taking it as a challenge. I have done well in the Twenty20 format and now my challenge is to repeat the same in 50-50 which will help me find a permanent place in the side. I believe I should focus on the positives instead of the negatives,” he adds.
Ojha has been losing out on his India berth to Ravindra Jadeja but he doesn’t hold grudge against the Saurashtra all-rounder. “My aim is to perform whenever I get an opportunity and not judge anybody’s performance. I have been given a tour and I will put my 100 per cent for it. I am all focused,” he says.
The Zimbabwe conditions are not alien to Ojha. He had visited the African country three years back with India A. “Everyone is looking forward to the tour. I have played earlier in those conditions hence I am familiar with them. I and Piyush were successful on the India A tour to Zimbabwe and Kenya. I don’t know how much the conditions may have changed but I know them a bit,” he adds.
