I was expecting this call, says Jasprit Bumrah

New Delhi: Named as replacement for the injured Mohammad Shami in the Indian squad for the T20 series in Australia, Gujarat medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Monday said he was "expecting" the call-up.

The 22-year-old youngster has been among the wickets for Gujarat, bagging 14 scalps in nine Syed Mushtaq Ali matches.

"It is a wonderful feeling. I was expecting this since I was on standby," Bumrah told 'bcci.tv'.

"But still, it is a very nice feeling. I cannot really describe it. We have been playing matches non-stop and you don't get the time to really sit and process all that is happening in your life. Maybe on the flight to Australia, when I have a lot of time on my hand, it will start to sink in."

Bumrah will leave for Australia on January 22 along with other T20I team members Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Suresh Raina and Hardik Pandya, the release added.

Bumrah remembers the events that led to him being included into the Mumbai Indians squad in the IPL in 2013.

"That year I wasn't even expecting to make it to the Ranji Trophy side. I had only played two T20 domestic matches and then suddenly I was in an IPL team. That was a totally unexpected great feeling," he said.

The pacer said he has learnt a lot by sharing the MI dressing room that had players like Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga.

"IPL has helped me tremendously. Every year I learn something new at the IPL. It has shaped me as a cricketer. I have learned so much from all the senior bowlers in the Mumbai Indians Lasith Malinga, Zaheer (Khan) bhai was with us earlier as well. For me, the IPL is a great platform to learn and develop as a cricketer.

"Most of what I have learned has been about preparation and handling pressure in big games. These guys have played international cricket, they have played in the World Cups. So, they could tell me what to expect, how to prepare for matches mentally and physically, what sort of training you should do and things like that.

"It has made me much more confident not only as a cricketer but also as a person."