From earning ₹60 a day to ₹20L IPL contract, Dar rakes in moolah

NEWDELHI: From working as a labourer on a daily wage of ₹60 to fetching an IPL contract worth ₹20 lakh, Jammu & Kashmir batsman Manzoor Dar has covered a distance more aweinspiring than the 100-metre sixes he is known for.

Considering the hardships he has faced, the IPL contract with Kings XI Punjab is a lifechanging moment for the bighitting Dar, who foresees better times for him and his family living in a village in Bandipora district. The burly batsman, who earned a name for hitting 100 metre sixes, was the last player to be bought by Kings XI Punjab. “I am thankful to God for this opportunity and also KXIP and Preity (Zinta) ma’am. My life has been full of struggle and when I finally found a team (at auction), I thought about the time I used to earn ₹60 as a labourer,” Dar told PTI .

“I have been building the house back home for the past three years. It still doesn’t have doors and windows but hopefully I will be able to get the work done now. I will also use the money for the treatment of my ailing mother,” he added.

Being the only player from the state to be picked in the IPL was a big deal not only for his small village but for the state. “My mother told me 30,000 people came to my house to congratulate. It is moving to receive such love,” he said. Dar was a natural when it came to hitting huge sixes. He was looking for ways to make money to take care of his younger siblings — four sisters and three brothers — and one day he was told by his local coach to ply his trade in club cricket.