Patiala youngster Sandeep Sharma hasn't been able to contain his excitement after getting selected for Team India to feature in the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.
The 22-year-old right-arm medium pace bowler has also in the process become the second medium-pacer from Punjab, after Manpreet Gony in 2008, to make it to the Indian senior cricket team.
It has been learnt that the youngster was busy with overseeing the construction of his new house in Anand Nagar in Patiala, when the team was revealed on Monday afternoon.
Sharma mentions that he is on "top of the world" ever since he was intimated with the news, and he has mentioned that the selectors had faith in him.
"I am on the top of the world," Sharma told Indian daily The Indian Express. "There were lots of expectations from me and the selection means that I will be able to prove myself on the international level, too.
"Zimbabwe will be a tough outing and playing in the IPL has certainly helped me. Virender Sehwag and Mitchell Johnson have been a great support in the Kings XI Punjab side and bowling along with a player such as Johnson does bring more responsibility."
The 22-year-old who started learning cricket from the age of 13 at the Multipurpose Training Centre in Patiala, turned out to be a revelation in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).
He picked up 13 wickets in IPL 2015 with the Kings XI, who didn't quite have a good outing as the Sanjay Bangar-coached side stood rockbottom.
Sharma was picked up by the Punjab-based IPL oufit in 2013. He notched up three wickets for 21 runs in his debut IPL game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Capable of swinging the ball and bowling economical spells, Sharma was part of India's Under-19 squad for the 2010 World Cup in New Zealand, as well as the U-19 World Cup held in Australia in 2012.
He picked up 12 wickets in the tournament in 2012, which also included four wickets in the final played against the hosts.
Team India, who will be skippered by Ajinkya Rahane, will play a total of three ODIs and two T20s against Dav Whatmore's side in Harare. The tour will begin on 10 July and will continue until 19 July.
Team Squad for Zimbabwe Tour
Ajinkya Rahane (C), Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Twiary, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, Karn Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma.
