‘Sachin is my Indian idol’:Ravi Bopara.

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In Bangalore for the World Cup match against India, Ravi says that there is a different feeling when he plays on the Indian ground. “Growing up, the only two teams I have watched closely are the Indian and the England teams. I remember how excited I would get when both these teams played against each other. I feel so proud and privileged that I am playing with them today,” says Ravi and coyly adds that even his family which lives in India is sure to catch the match.

Many young aspiring cricketers will be watching Ravi play on Sunday and he has an advice for them, “Dream big and never give up on your goals.” So who has Ravi always admired? “It has to be Sachin Tendulkar. He has been my Indian idol since my childhood. When Sachin enters the field one can watch him play all day and yet you wouldn’t know what he is going to do next,” he says.

Quiz him about the recent Bollywood film Patiala House which is about an Indian boy getting into the England Cricket Team just like him and he laughs, “I haven’t seen much movies of late. I have heard about it but not seen it yet.”

Ravi is well aware of the Indian crowd and knows how much their cricket team means to them. He was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and played for Kings XI Punjab. He says that he can never forget the charged atmosphere in the stadium during the matches. Seeing the huge commotion for tickets outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, Ravi says that it will give him and his team an incentive to perform better.

“As players we are used to this kind of atmosphere. It is so encouraging that people are ready to go to such extent to come and see us play. Ultimately, they come to get entertained and we will surely not disappoint them,” he adds.