Bengaluru, March 25 (IANS) Before Mangesh Yadav ever pitched a ball in professional cricket, his father Ramavadh Yadav worked overnight, contemplating how he would secure funds for his son’s dream. He invested all his resources in a boy who initially played cricket in a modest courtyard with his mother. Today, Mangesh Yadav has a contract worth Rs. 5.2 crore with the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Reflecting on their financial woes, Mangesh’s father said, “I had to struggle a lot for money. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep at night, thinking about how I would raise money for him. The life of a truck driver is no life at all. You don’t have time to eat or bathe. When the truck is full, you worry about offloading, and when it’s empty, you have to worry about filling it up.”

A 23-year-old from Borgaon in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, raised in humble conditions, developed his cricket skills early on. His uncle recognised his talent at tennis tournaments and motivated him to go to Delhi to train with coach Phool Chand Sharma.

The 23-year-old said, “If I am playing cricket today it is because of Phool Chand sir.”

“When I went to Delhi, my father had given me Rs 24,000 with great difficulty. I don’t even know how that money got over in the first month.”

His father often had to contact people close to him to arrange the funds required for Mangesh’s training.

Phool Chand Sharma said, “Mangesh was staying with someone in Delhi. I saw that he was a good bowler, but he didn’t even have enough to eat. I told him to come and stay at the hostel. That’s where his journey really began. I don’t care if someone has money or not. If the player is good, he can come, eat, stay, and practice.”

Mangesh also recalled a brief phase where he lost focus. “I had started becoming lazy. One day sir called me and told me to pack my bag and go home. After some time, I apologised and told him it wouldn’t happen again. Then I realised what I was missing and what I had. I looked at my family and thought, Dad is working so hard. Everyone is so dedicated for me.”

Eager to seize the opportunity, the young fast bowler dedicated himself fully to training. He competed in the DDCA league, local tournaments, and even attended the UP U-19 camp, yet the next step still remained out of reach.

His father added, “There were times he would go all the way to a selection camp, and he would be told his name had been called by mistake. Those were the days I felt helpless, like I had made a grave mistake by giving my son this dream.”

The pivotal moment occurred during the Madhya Pradesh T20 League, when Mangesh took 14 wickets in six matches with an impressive average of 12.00. After playing for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket alongside RCB captain Rajat Patidar, he finally received the long-awaited call from Royal Challengers Bangalore.

At the trials, his ability to adapt to different match situations was put under the scanner. “At the trials, DK [Dinesh Karthik] sir came up to me and said, ‘You are bowling well. Now show me this ball.’ He made me bowl in different situations; with the new ball, the fifth over, the tenth over, the fourteenth over, and even the eighteenth and twentieth overs. It was surprising for me to see how a player at that level thinks.”

After the auction, Mangesh appreciated the coach who had supported him throughout the journey. “When I came back to the club, I just wanted to meet him and touch his feet, thank him for trusting me and investing so much.”

Years of his father’s sacrifice had paid dividends. “When my father supported me in cricket, my extended family and society thought he was a fool, that I would be ruined. I am just happy. That’s what makes me emotional, my father can now walk with pride.”

His father added, “I never thought a truck driver could get so much respect. Mangesh has done more for me than I could ever ask him.”

–IANS

vi/