Jharkhand stays hotbed of talent
RANCHI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the only cricketer from Jharkhand to make it big at the international stage, has created a legacy that will keep Jharkhand on world cricket map even after his retirement.
The former India captain, at the fag end of his career, has inspired many young cricketers in the state, including 15-year-old leggie Pankaj Yadav and 18-yearold Anukul Roy, who are both members of the India U-19 team that travels to the World Cup in New Zealand next January.
Another youngster, Vivekananda Tiwari from Ranchi, played the U-19 Asia Cup in Malaysia in November. He, however, could not make it to the World Cup team.
“Mahi sir’s feat has helped us express ourselves better. People know now that Jharkhand too has talented cricketers,” said Pankaj, who is currently in Bangalore preparing for the U-19 World Cup.
Born into a milkman’s family in Ranchi, Pankaj started playing cricket at the age of eight. He idolises Australian spinner Shane Warne and aspires to achieve similar success in international cricket.
Pankaj used to bunk school and attend coaching at the Birsa Agricultural University’s ground in Ranchi, which often caused problems for him at school.
“At times, I used to get scolded by teachers. My attendance was usually short every year. It worried my family. But I could never think anything outside cricket,” said Pankaj, who received the ‘Best Jharkhand Bowler’s Award’ in the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore this year.
His U-19 teammate Anukul, who got selected to the India U-19 team for the third successive time, considers his ability to contribute with both bat and ball as his greatest strength.
“I have half-centuries and three-wicket hauls in U-19 matches. My performance contributes a lot to the team’s success,” said the left-arm spinner.
He feels that Dhoni’s success has instilled confidence in Jharkhand cricketers, who are not bogged down by the fact that they come from a smaller state.
Apart from these, Jamshedpur boys Ishank Jaggi and Saurabh Tiwary have already gained prominence. While Saurabh has represented India in three ODIs, Jaggi played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last IPL.
Dhoni’s first coach Chanchal Bhattacharya said young players from Jharkhand are seeing Dhoni as a role model.