Indian Premier League (IPL) brings lots of action, thrills, and stories. The cricketers inspire the fans with their dynamic skills on the field. These on-field journeys of cricketers dig out their life stories, which make the fans shiver and respect their journey through the rugged terrain.
The platform has provided talented cricketers from all corners of the country to showcase their skills and grab attention. From Hardik Pandya to Jasprit Bumrah to T Natarajan in recent times, we have witnessed cricketers coming up from humble backgrounds and making it big in the IPL.
In this piece, we will speak about 5 cricketers who have inspirational stories:
1. Mohammad Siraj
Mohammad Siraj has set a lofty goal by ripping Australia in their backyard just some months ago. Siraj appeared as the crucial pillar in India’s triumph over Australia. Siraj’s off-field story is as inspiring as his on-field tale. The son of an auto-driver hardly had any money to foster his bowling skills. Until 2015 the pacer nourished the bowler inside him with a tennis ball. His humble family background could not facilitate the luxurious cricket equipment.
But the self-made bowler made headlines when he tottered 41 wickets from his 9 matches during his Ranji Trophy debut season for Hyderabad. There he grew up under the umbrella of Bharat Arun, the current bowling coach of India.
Siraj got his IPL breakthrough in 2017 when Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for Rs 2.6 crore. His sumptuous pace allured the franchises to race for him. His life took a straight turn since then.
2. Chetan Sakariya
Not many people knew the name Chetan Sakariya before the IPL. While playing for Saurashtra in SMAT, Chetan’s younger brother died by suicide. His family hid the incident from him for ten-day as they did not want to affect his games. When he was informed about the incident later, it left him numb. Chetan’s father who was a truck driver once was also bedridden after meeting three accidents and some surgeries.
At that time, the IPL auction was knocking at the door and he bagged an IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.2 crore. That boosted their economy, though the emotional crisis was not erased. Chetan had a memorable IPL debut. He picked up three scalps at an economic rate of 7.8.
The left-arm pacer learned the craft on his own with tennis-ball. Chetan fetched a scholarship while playing U19 games. He joined the MRF Pace Foundation with that money but training shoes appeared luxurious for him. While training with the first-class cricketers, Sheldon Jackson handed him a pair of shoes.
3. Jonny Bairstow
The 31-year-old Yorkshire man representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL has a heart-wrenching past. The keeper-batsman who has won many accolades with his modern-day batting skills lost his father David Bairstow when he was 8. Jonny’s father David was also a keeper-batsman and played cricket for Yorkshire and England. David Bairstow hanged himself in their house after going through depression and financial troubles. Jonny’s mother, sister, and Jonny found him dead after they returned home from his football training at Leeds United.
Life threw another challenge at the Bairstow as his mother Janet was diagnosed with cancer. She was receiving treatment when his father died. Cancer relapsed aggressively in 2012. After his father’s death, the family dealt with a financial crisis. Jonny’s mother had to purchase their school uniforms from second-hand shops.
As soon as Jonny grew up and discovered his passion for cricket, keeping came naturally to him like a hallmark. When he joined Yorkshire academy, he immediately was christened Bluey, the nickname that his father boasted once. Jonny announced his international arrival in 2011. In 2019 he received Sunrisers Hyderabad’s contract and had a blitzkrieg season. Jonny still dons the Orange jersey in IPL.
4. T Natarajan
The emerging T20 specialist, T Natarajan, until the age of 20 played only tennis-ball cricket. Living in a village 36-km off Salem, he had barely known how a cricket ground looked like. The eldest among the five siblings, Natarajan, had tried his hands in all sorts of jobs like selling newspapers, delivering milk to support his family financially.
After playing lots of tennis-ball tournaments, Natarajan impressed some officials who later allowed him to play in divisional TNCA matches in 2010-11. The tennis-ball games excelled his ability to place perfect yorkers. This skill became his ladder to success.
He was out of cricket action for two years as he was suspected for his bowling action. However, with the help of the BCCI officials, the matter was clarified and was picked up by Kings XI Punjab for IPL 10 for an amount of Rs 3 crore. In a nutshell, from having no clarity about professional cricket to representing India in international cricket, his story inspires all the small-town people.
5. Nicholas Pooran
One of the most dynamic West Indian batsmen of the recent era, Nicholas Pooran, almost went off the cliff after meeting an accident while returning from training at the age of 19. Doctors had told him that cricket could not be his career after he fractured his legs. It took him seven months to walk.
He was shackled to a wheelchair, but his intent was strongly flapping. The braveheart fought all the odds and started to repair his fitness after he walked again. It took him two years to return on the field.
In 2020, he became the UNO-card for Kings XI Punjab and won many hearts. Pooran gave a boost to their middle order. Pooran, 25, is continuing his stint with Kings XI Punjab, now Punjab Kings.
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