Reetinder Singh Sodhi claimed six wickets on Friday against Collage Group in the DDCA Hot Weather cricket tournament and won the match for his side,Air India. Having missed out on domestic cricket due to his participation in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL),Sodhi preferred to keep his emotions in check at the RSKP ground,even as his team mates celebrated his brilliant bowling spell. Unable to read his slower deliveries,Collage Group batsmen were foxed by Sodhis variations. Sodhi was well supported by left arm spinner Iresh Saxena who finished with three wickets. As a result Collage Group collapsed after piling 166 runs on the board and lost the match by 90 runs. For his haul of 6/26, Sodhi was adjudged the Man of the Match. Having received amnesty from the BCCI along with the other ICL players,Sodhi said he was always optimistic about his chances even when he was part of the unofficial Twenty20 league. We all were hopeful that things will change and they will change for good. Now that we have got a chance,we will try and make it count, he told Sportline. ICL was a good learning experience. We had world-class players from different countries and it helped me,but I always missed playing for my country because that is the ultimate honour for a cricketer, Sodhi added. And watching fellow rebel Abdul Razzaq make a successful return to the Pakistan national team has given him hope of a brighter future. Razzaqs performance in the Twenty20 world cup is a positive sign for all the ICL players. With his selection,he has proved that ICL players are fit to play at the top most level and he is one of the best all rounder in the world. For the moment,Sodhi is eyeing a comeback in the Punjab Ranji team,and thinks performances like the one today wont get unnoticed. I am a firm believer in God and hard work. I am thankful to the BCCI for giving us another chance. I will try to perform well in the matches I play in future. Brief Scores: Air India 256 for 7 in 40 overs (Robin Bisht 55,Naman Sharma 52,Mohd. Kaif 45,Sanjay Gill 3/26,Praveen Thapar 1/42); Collage Group 166 all out in 33.1 overs (Rameez Nemat 44,Mannu Kumar 34,Reetinder Singh Sodhi 6/26,Iresh Saxena 3/23)
