Parvez Rasool set to join Pune Warriors

Parvez Rasool, the Jammu and Kashmir allrounder, is set to join Pune Warriors for IPL 2013. Rasool was in the spotlight earlier this week, when he bagged seven wickets against the touring Australians. He will be the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the league.

The formalities are yet to be completed but the franchise is in the process of signing Rasool, a Warriors official confirmed.

Rasool said Warriors were not the only IPL team to contact him, but they had been in touch with him even before that tour match. "A few franchises approached me but it was Pune who approached me first. So it was an ethical decision to join them as they had shown interest much before the Australia match happened," Rasool told PTI. "I am very excited and it is an honour to play in the IPL and become the first cricketer from the valley to achieve this feat."

Twenty-four-year-old Rasool had an impressive 2012-13 Ranji season too, leading both the bowling and batting charts for Jammu and Kashmir; his 594 runs from seven games came at an average of 54, while his 33 wickets came at 18.09 apiece.

He is looking forward to drawing on the knowledge of the international players at the IPL, he said, to further lift his game. "It is a dream come true for me that I will be interacting with Michael Clarke. Also having Yuvi paaji [Yuvraj Singh] will be a bonus. I have just started my journey in top-flight cricket, and this stint with Pune will only help me grow. I hope that I will be able soak in all the information that I can get from our coach Allan Donald too."