Today, a Khanna family will root for Kiwis

CHANDIGARH: A New Zealand cricketer speaking chaste Punjabi! Sounds unusual, but for 23-year-old Inderbir Sodhi, aka, Ish Sodhi, it’s a cakewalk.

The young Kiwi leggie, who has his roots in Khanna, was seen freely chatting with budding cricketers at the Punjab Cricket Stadium (PCA) in Mohali during the nets ahead of the third ODI on Sunday. At the end of the session, a young gun told Sodhi: “Paaji well. You were exceptional during the World Twenty20 held in India).”

Being the first India-born cricketer to have played for New Zealand, Ish has big fan following back in the country among the South Asians. And when India takes on New Zealand on Sunday, a small section of Indian fans will be rooting for the visitors and also Ish, if he gets to play the match. A group of 15-17 relatives from Khanna, Phillaur and Panchkula gathered at a Chandigarh hotel on Saturday evening to catch up with the star of their family, Ish. Also, bonding with the group were Ish’s father Dr Raj Sodhi and his grandmother Gurdeep Kaur Sodhi. The Sodhis shifted from Khanna to Auckland when Ish was 4. On Sunday, it will be a grand re-union of the family that will watch the dayand-night tie together.

Speaking to HT, Ish’s relative and a former cricketer Gaurav Chibber said, “He is our gem. Whenever he is in Mohali, we all make it a point to meet him. I hope he is in the playing XI on Sunday and takes lots of wickets.”

KIN OF NZ LEGGIE ISH SODHI, WHO HAS A PUNJAB CONNECT, ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE THE STAR OF THE FAMILY IN ACTION AGAINST INDIA

Ish — who started as a pacer, but switched to spin during a coaching clinic Auckland conducted by former New Zealand off-spinner Dipak Patel — now trains under the tutelage of former left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2013 at Chittagong.

It is for the third time that Ish will be playing at PCA. He last played for New Zealand against Pakistan in the World Twenty20 in March.

Ish played in the first ODI at Dharamshala and scalped one wicket. The 23-year-old leggie was part of the New Zealand Test team and played in the first Test at Kanpur.