Who would have predicted that what began as an experiment in 2008 would go on to become one of the biggest sporting extravaganzas in the world? Yes, you guessed it right. We are talking about the Indian Premier League(IPL).
Well, it all started a decade ago when this cricket-obsessed nation was basking in the glory of the World Twenty20 triumph. It was a never-seen-before experience for the fans as players from different nations shared the same dressing room.
So much si, the thrill of the shortest format of the game had the fans enthralled.
But apart from all this, one aspect that played a pivotal part in the league’s meteoric rise was how it gave the players coming from poor backgrounds a world class opportunity to prove themselves.
Several players have made it to the top drawer after arriving in the IPL as relatively unknown. Not only that, the IPL has also provided several players with great financial support.
Moreover, the recently-concluded eleventh edition of the IPL was not an exception either.
So, here we are taking a look at five players whose fortunes changed due to the IPL:
5. T Natarajan:
Thangarasu Natarajan was all over the news after Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) shelled out a whopping INR 3 crore to bag the services of a bowler whose base price was just INR 10 lakh.
But while he is currently leading a lavish life, his childhood was totally opposite of it.
Son of a daily wage worker, Natarajan grew up in Chinnappampatti, 36 km off Salem. He is the eldest of five siblings.
Moreover, Natarajan’s father was a daily wage worker in a saree manufacturing unit while his mother used to sell snacks at a small roadside shop.
Till the age of 20, he had only played tennis ball cricket as he could not manage cricketing gear. It was only after he went to Chennai that the left arm pacer received formal training.
The exciting pacer played for the Jolly Rovers Club before impressing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) which changed his fortunes.
4. Mohammed Siraj:
There are very stories as inspiring as Mohammed Siraj‘s. Son of an auto-rickshaw driver in Hyderabad, Siraj never stopped believing and was finally rewarded for his patience.
Siraj too started his journey with a tennis ball and first bowled with a proper cricket ball in 2015. The same year Siraj made his dream Ranji debut and picked up 41 wickets in nine matches.
It was in IPL 2017 auctions that Siraj’s hard work got recognition. His base price was INR 20 lakh but was sold for a whopping INR 2.6 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In the same year, he made his India debut after an impressive IPL.
3. Nathu Singh:
Nathu Singh’s cricketing journey started with a tennis ball as affording a proper cricketing gear was a luxury for him. His father was a factory worker. But as adversities did not stop him realising his dream.
Nathu kept on working hard and was finally rewarded as he announced himself in the cricketing world by picking up seven wickets for 87 runs playing for Rajasthan in his Ranji Trophy debut.
The impressive season turned Nathu’s career around as Mumbai Indians (MI) snapped him up for a whopping INR 3.2 crore in 2016.
2. Manzoor Dar:
Only playing cricket in Jammu and Kashmir is considered tough let alone making it big. Well, Manzoor Ahmad Dar is one such exception. He was the lone cricketer from J&K to play in this year’s IPL.
Prior to making it big in the game, Dar worked as a labourer to supplement his family income. He was looking for ways to make more money to take care of his four brothers and three sisters, all of them younger to him.
It was then that Manzoor was asked by a local coach to try and participate in club cricket after the latter saw him hitting huge sixes.
Eventually, the games helped him earn money and Manzoor soon developed a liking. During the night, he worked as a security guard and played cricket in a day.
The hard work ultimately paid off as Kings XI bought him for INR 20 lakh this year.
1. Rinku Singh:
Rinku Singh’s rags-to-riches story is so inspiring that his parents were too emotional after seeing their son on television. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed up the left-handed batsman in this year’s auction for INR 80 lakh.
Rinku’s father Khanchandra works as a delivery man and delivers LPG cylinders door-to-door. His elder brother drives an auto rickshaw while his another brother works in a coaching centre.