'Dream come true' for Alex Hales

After going unsold at player auctions over the last two years, England batsman Alex Hales has said he was elated to finally be part of the IPL, a tournament he considered "the pinnacle of T20 cricket". Hales was drafted into the Mumbai Indians squad as a replacement for the injured Corey Anderson and joined the team ahead of their final league game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.

"I was disappointed because T20 cricket is probably the game that I favour the most and suits me best," Hales told iplt20.com. I didn't know what to expect from the auctions. I just went in with an open mind and I told myself that I wasn't going to get too down if I wasn't picked up in the auction. I would have obviously loved to be picked up but I wasn't leaning towards it anyway.

"I have been desperate to get into this competition now for a couple of years. For me to get a chance like this is a great honour. It is a great opportunity to come over here."

He described it as a "dream come true" to be picked even if it was at a late stage. "It is such a massive tournament; it has been my aim and goal to get into this tournament. When I found out for sure that I would be a part of it on Friday, it was just elation for me at that moment. It was like a dream come true to come and play in this tournament."

His excitement and eagerness seemed to got the better of tiredness and jet lag. "Once I got here, it was all about the adrenaline," Hales said. "I think the excitement just took over all the tiredness. I am loving the atmosphere and everything that the IPL symbolises. I enjoyed watching the game from the dugout tonight. So far, the few hours that I have been here with the Mumbai Indians, I have loved my experience."

Hales said he was in awe of Mumbai's star studded coaching staff and hoped to be a part of the squad for the years to come "The best thing about the IPL is being surrounded by quality players and experts. Getting a chance to share the dressing room with two of my heroes growing up - Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting - is great. These are guys you can pick the brains of so that you can develop your own game. I have been following the tournament closely back home. The run of form that Mumbai Indians have been since the last five games has been brilliant."

After experimenting with their team combination, Mumbai managed to find the right balance right at the business end of the tournament. With Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel having given Mumbai good starts, it is unlikely that they will play Hales.

But the Nottinghamshire batsman isn't disappointed and is prepared to wait. "I am itching to get a game but if the chance doesn't come across this year, then will keep my fingers crossed to get a go next year."